Quickly dismissed during the Hobart Cup, Asva faced a betting desert ahead of the Launceston Cup with support centred on mainland invaders Ziryab and Taramansour.

Neither of the tipped runners showed at the finish line, leaving Asva to anchor a Tasmanian trifecta over Zulu Angel and Distrustful Award. No Rumours, back in sixth, was the leading out-of-towner.

“I knew I had a fair horse, I put a line through the last run,” winning trainer Glenn Stevenson said.

“If he can get put to sleep in his chance.

“He’s always shown the ability, it’s just been a matter of actually getting mature. It’s a maturity thing that’s been with him, and he’s finally grown into the horse he is.”

Starting from off the pace, Asva swung three-wide through the back straight as Jett Stanley urged the six-year-old forward five deep past rivals to lead with 400m remaining.

Trainer and jockey provided sharply differing takes on the ride immediately afterwards.

“To be honest, you sit, and you go ‘what’s happened here, what’s he doing? Oh my God’ He won though so it’s a great ride,” Stevenson said.

“Once we got into the side straight, there was a three wide moving line which I thought would take me where we needed to be,” winning jockey Jett Stanley said.

“From about the 700m, I was going too well. For 2400m horses, if you don’t know whether they can do it or not, there is only one way to test them – that’s just to let them go when they are travelling that well.

“He went around them so easily and effortlessly. From the 200m I was just trying to think of my salute.”

Supporting races saw Sanniya, owned by Barry Campbell and Star Thoroughbreds, claim the Vamos Stakes (1400m) with ease, pushing her streak to five.

John Keys dominated the 3YO Classic (1200m) quinella via Swift Force from Zambezi Blonde, while Steparty doubled her Tasmanian wins this prep in the Hellova Street Stakes (1600m).

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