Tavistock shock 40-1 winner

Opaki galloper Tavistock won the $220,000 weight-for-age Mudgway Stakes at Hastings on Saturday at odds of 40 to one, and trainer Andrew Campbell didn't even have a dollar in him.
Campbell is not a betting man and while he was "pretty hopeful" of Tavistock measuring up to some of the best gallopers in the country over the 1400m he wasn't tempted to have a change of heart.
He did, however, make a slight change to his usual practise of watching his horses race courtesy of the television coverage rather than spectate from the grandstand.
So impressed was he with the way Tavistock was travelling 600m out from home he left the TV and ventured outdoors to cheer him on.
"I could see he was going to be right in it, he looked to be enjoying what he was doing," Campbell said.
"And I thought he would fight hard, he's that sort of horse."
Fight hard Tavistock certainly did.
Favourite Mufhasa never flinched as the two went head to head down the home straight and it was only in the final strides that Tavistock got his measure.
Making the victory even more impressive was the word from jockey Jason Waddell that he had almost been unseated when Tavistock got "hammered" coming out of the gates and they had also lost momentum in an incident at the 700m when two other horses, Altered Image and Maximum Star, lost their riders.
"Jason was rapt with the way he (Tavistock) took the knocks and never flinched, it just shows how tough is," Campbell said.
Not surprisingly Campbell was thrilled with Waddell's handling of Tavistock and admitted Waddell was actually more confident of him featuring in the finish pre-race than what Campbell himself had been.
"Jason was sure that if we got a firm track he would be a real chance, you can say I was pretty hopeful rather than confident," Campbell said.
Tavistock had warmed up for the Mudgway with a sprint over 1200m at Foxton three weeks earlier and his third placing behind another local in Fritzy Boy - winner of the Mudgway 12 months ago and a beaten rival on this occasion - indicated to Campbell he was progressing along the right lines.
"We knew that Foxton run would improve him, it was just a matter by how much," Campbell said.
Tavistock, a Monjeu entire, actually had four starts for Melbourne trainer Mick Price last season and raced well in good company across the Tasman.
He was second in the listed Vain Stakes first-up and then won a $A100,000 three-year-old 1400m at Flemington.
He also ran fourth in the group three Caulfield Guineas prelude before failing in the Guineas itself.
Before his Melbourne excursion Tavistock had raced from Campbell's Masterton stables and even before the Mudgway Campbell was of the opinion he was the best horse he had handled.
"I've been lucky enough to have a few good ones but this guy always struck me as something special," Campbell said.
"He's the best I've had, do doubt about that."
All going well Tavistock will now head to the second and third legs of the Hawke's Bay triple crown where the odds about him are sure to be a lot shorter than they were on Saturday.