THE jury is still out on whether Devendra will head to Sydney to join the James Rattray stable to embark on an Inter Dominion campaign in Western Australia next month.
Devendra suffered another loss on Sunday night, this time at the hands of a 10-year-old that was having his 189th start in the standing start Launceston Show Cup over 2200 metres.
The Todd Rattray-trained gelding was sent out the favourite at $2.60 favourite and while he word to find the breeze outside of the leader midrace and found a bit when challenged in the home straight he was beaten fair and square.
With Dylan Ford in the sulky, Jukebox Music stepped well from the standing start and settled in fourth position in the one-out line while the favourite and 30-metre back marker Devendra also stepped well and was tacked onto the main body of the field after travelling 200 metres.
Spot Nine led the field but when he slowed the tempo the back markers made their moves with firstly Washies Chance slipping up to face the breeze but Devendra’s driver Todd Rattray also wanted the breeze so he sent the favourite scurrying around the field to fill that post.
Just when Rattray was about to call on Devendra to extend Ford released the brakes on Jukebox Music and he quickly joined Devendra in the lead.
The pair engaged in a two-horse battle with Jukebox Music proving too strong over the concluding stages.