Campbell Close to Career Best Performance

A career-best benchmark is within reach for Barry Campbell after another powerful season from the Hall of Fame trainer, whose Devonport double last Sunday lifted him to 46 wins for the campaign and left him just one short of his best tally across the past decade. Campbell's current strike-rate of 29.1% from only 158 starters underlines the efficiency of the operation, while more than $1.5 million in prizemoney has flowed largely from a strong run in Tasmania's feature races. He said it had been "an unbelievable year", better even than last season, with the stable's horses continuing to race consistently well. That depth has been central to the success, with Night Invader, Hartman, Mazzini, Sanniya and Beneficiary all winning five races this term, Tuskegee adding four, and Taroona and Durazzo each contributing three. Campbell said the stable had collected 11 feature wins, a haul that had made a significant difference to the prizemoney total and given him a strong platform heading towards 2026/27. The challenge next season may be managing a team whose best horses are likely to cross paths in the same races, particularly with Sanniya and Mazzini both entering their 4YO campaigns and shaping as possible Tasmanian Newmarket contenders. Durazzo won that $150,000 Listed 1200m feature in 2025, and the race could again become a key early-summer target for Campbell's better sprinters. For now, he is inclined to keep the stars at home, saying there is excellent money available in Tasmania during summer if a stable can win the right races, making local targets the sensible option. Sanniya is expected to be aimed at fillies and mares features when she returns in November, while full brothers Durazzo and Mazzini may follow a weight-for-age path after the Newmarket. Before those bigger plans take shape, Campbell will try to extend his winning run at Hobart on Sunday with a team that includes Taroona, Dancing Wolf, Bayside and Azonto. Taroona is set to back up after pleasing the stable since her latest run, although Campbell believes she may have a difficult task against John Blacker's Daytona Diva. Dancing Wolf will be tried again on grass after a lesser Devonport effort, while Azonto looks close to another win after recent racing suggested she has her hoof on the till.