A summer of Cups and stars in the making

This article has been sponsored and produced by Tasracing

Tasmania is already in ‘Cup season’, with the staging of the Longford Cup on New Year’s Day, a race held since 1845, and this year won by the Kelvin Hamilton-trained Fast Thinker in front of a crowd of over 6000.

A nine-year-old gelding, the win was the 13th in a 61-start career for Fast Thinker, who has been a terrific earner for Hamilton and connections.

On Wednesday, Devonport takes its turn in the spotlight, with a feature 10-race card, including the $125,000 Ladbrokes Devonport Cup.

The Glenn Stevenson-trained Ashy Boy is looking for a third-straight win in the race, while Earandel and Blonde Star are considered the main contenders for the 1880-metre handicap.

Ashy Boy has failed to find form this campaign but Stevenson is hoping a change of gear and routine might see the veteran recapture his best.

“He picked up a little virus about six weeks ago, he missed a bit of work so we were always chasing our tail. I thought I had him right last week but he was disappointing.

“I’m really hoping the blinkers make a big change, we jumped him this morning (Monday) and we will jump him again tomorrow and put him up over the dunes,” Stevenson said.

The main lawns at the Devonport Racing Club are set to be a sea of Ladbrokes red, as local sporting clubs battle for a $10,000 grand prize as part of the 2026 Ladbrokes Community Sports Series (LCSS).

This year, the fourth race on the 10-event Cup Day card is the designated LCSS race, a maiden over 1150m.

The field has been reduced to 10 after an early scratching, and each horse participating will race for a designated club, with that club receiving $10,000 if its horse is first past the post.

The race appears to be a deep maiden, with most of the field first-up and several of them coming off impressive trial wins.

The other feature is the $109,000 Carpet Charge (1009m), where Sanniya is set to start a short-priced favourite.

Last season’s two-year-old of the year may have scared away a few rivals with just a field of eight accepting for the race that has quickly become a highlight of Devonport Cup Day since Turk Warrior won the first instalment back in 2023.

After finishing second in the $125,000 3YO Cup (1200m) on 21 November, Sanniya justified her $1.30 starting price when she won a BM76 over the Carpet Charge distance on 19 December.

If Sanniya is successful, it would be back-to-back Carpet Charge victories for Barry Campbell, Craig Newitt and Star Thoroughbreds, after Durazzo’s victory in the race last year.

Durazzo has been blazing a trail through the Tasmanian Summer Racing Festival already winning the Newmarket Handicap, Conquering Stakes and Inevitable Stakes, becoming the rising star in Tassie racing.

His full brother Mazzini, owned and raced by the same interests, is looming as an heir apparent, winning a trio of races in December.

Denise Martin will be hoping another of her Needs Further progeny, Earendel, can become the latest Star Thoroughbreds-owned feature winner in the Devonport Cup.

Newhart won the race in 2020 and 2021, while Eastender claimed it in 2019 on his way to a historic treble, later winning both the Hobart and Launceston Cups.

This article has been sponsored and produced by Tasracing