Favourite storms home to win Esperance Cup

Emerging gelding Manavendra will be set for the Albany Cup later this month after Sunday’s brilliant victory in the $100,000 Freight Lines Group Esperance Cup (2000m).

Manavendra ($3.40 favourite) scored by a half-length in Sunday’s showcase at the Esperance Bay Turf Club that delivered co-trainers Daniel and Ben Pearce their first cup win on the south coast.

Ninth at the turn, he blitzed his rivals on the outside to score from the Peter Fernie-trained Utgard Loki ($51), with Acermetric ($12) third.

The result broke a two-year hold on the race by trainer Adam Durrant, who was successful with Soviety Spy (2023) and Off Wego, and foiled Steve Wolfe’s bid for a sixth Esperance Cup triumph.

“As a four-year-old, I think he’s just starting to work it all out and we’re starting to work out where he’s at,” Daniel Pearce said.

“He’s obviously shown now that he can run out a trip and run through a line over a staying trip — I think he’s going to improve as his racing manners improve and has a pretty bright future moving forward — starting with the Albany Cup (on March 31) from here.”

Success in the Esperance Cup capped off a big day in the saddle for Clint Johnston-Porter, who grabbed a treble after he was successful earlier with Josh Brown-trained Scottish Laird ($6.50) and Budgerigar ($2.40 favourite), trained by the Pearce brothers.

Joseph Azzopardi was successful aboard Profit Pocket ($2.70 favourite) and Fast Flicker ($2.60).

The Pearces maintain a busy schedule at their headquarters at Karnup, about 60km south of Perth, with 50 horses currently in work.