Star trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo completed a rare double at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he notched his one hundredth driving success for the season --- to go with his century of winners as a trainer.
His driving century came up in race four, the $23,000 Foton Euro 6 Cummins Powered Pace over 2130m when he brought $3.20 second favourite Magnus Victor home with a spirited burst to win by a length from the $3.10 favourite Star Casino.
And the 33-year-old De Campo went on to score impressive victories with Magnificent Storm and Amalfi Knight, with the latter giving him his first four winners on a Friday night metro-class meeting.
He then carried on the good work with a training and driving double with his first two drives at the Gloucester Park meeting on Saturday night, scoring with Lord Titanium ($8.50) and The Wildcard ($3.10).
Those efforts took his tallies for the season to 104 driving successes and 107 wins as a trainer. He now has a record of six wins and four placings from his past twelve drives.
Magnus Victor began from the outside of the back line in Friday night’s event in which he settled down in ninth place while Soho Vesper Lind ($6.50) was setting a brisk pace.
Star Casino raced wide in the first circuit before he was shuffled back to last 1200m from home. De Campo sent Magnus Victor forward, three wide, approaching the bell, and his run was followed by Star Casino.
Magnus Victor forged to the front with 220m to travel and he won comfortably from the gallant Star Casino, with the winner rating 1.55.9 after final 400m sections of 27.9sec. and 28.6sec.
“I have had a lot of trouble with Magnus Victor over the past four to five months, getting him right,” said De Campo. “He has been off and on and had a few gut issues and it was a matter of getting him healthy. But his two previous runs were a lot better, and tonight he was down a bit in grade, and we drove him with a lot more confidence.”
Magnus Victor, a WA-bred five-year-old by Sweet Lou, ended a losing sequence of eleven and now has earned $207,246 from17 wins and 23 placings from 70 starts.
De Campo ended the night on a high note with Amalfi Knight ($3.80) scoring a half-head victory over Cease To React ($34) in he Foton Trucks Built Ready To Go Pace.
Amalfi Knight began from barrier six and enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out, one-back position behind the breeze horse Patriarch, the $2.60 favourite.
In Rare Air ($3.20) began speedily from barrier No. 4 and set the pace, with Patriarch applying considerable pressure from the breeze. But Patriarch broke into a bad gallop 650m from home and dropped back to a distant last.
“I was following Patriarch when he broke but was able to remain straight with Patriarch running out,” said De Campo. “Amalfi Knight lost a bit of ground but was able to pick himself up in the back straight.
“Amalfi Knight has been a slow maturer, and I will give him a break now before bringing him back and getting ready to run in the Sales Classics in April.”
