Nothing is Inevitable in the heat of the Tasmanian Summer Racing Festival

This article has been sponsored and produced by Tasracing.

The start of the 2024/25 Tasmanian Summer has seen a look into the past and the future and paints a fascinating picture for the upcoming two months of feature racing.

The Inevitable, ‘the little champ’, the flagbearer for Tasmanian thoroughbred racing since the 2021 retirements of Mystic Journey and Still A Star, has returned to home soil with mixed results that may be more reflective of an improvement in the ranks down south, than a diminishing performance from the nine-year-old son of Dundeel.

Every summer, Tasmania’s premier sprint, the Newmarket Handicap (1200m), is the first feature, and the 2024 edition was the most anticipated for some time. The Inevitable was back, up against a host of up-and-comers headlined by Geegees Gemstone, Thespian Waters and Alvarinho.

The race didn’t disappoint. With 61kg The Inevitable ran well, but had his colours lowered to the Stuart Gandy-trained Geegees Gemstone, a five-year-old son of Alpine Eagle who has now won half his 16 career starts.

The race represented a slight changing of the guard. Despite racing near his best, The Inevitable tasted defeat to a rising star, who admittedly carried 7kg less, but it was a sign that the 24/25 Summer won’t be the procession it was for The Inevitable when at the peak of his powers in 2022/23.

Under weight-for-age conditions, the Conquering Stakes (1400m) was expected to be the return to normal order for The Inevitable, sent out a $1.60 favourite. Victory came, but the photo finish result wasn’t the one that most expected.

“I didn’t enjoy that one bit,” said trainer John Keys after the heart-stopping finish.

This time, it was Thespian Waters, a four-year-old gelding trained by Siggy Carr who almost produced the upset, but with just 0.77-lengths covering the first five across the line it was another sign that the Tassie summer is set to be competitive one, despite the presence of The Inevitable.

The weight-for-age combatants will meet again in Hobart in the Tasmanian Stakes (1600m) on 27 December. before the Thomas Lyons (1400m) and Hellova Street (1600m) later in the summer. Those wanting to drop back to handicap conditions can look at races like the Longford and Devonport Cups in early January.

Overall, the Tasmanian Summer Racing Festival includes 16 black-type races totalling $2.4 million in prize money. A $150,000 bonus is being offered by Ladbrokes and Tasracing to any horse that can win the Hobart and Launceston Cups double, a feat last achieved by the Barry Campbell-trained Eastender back in 2019.

Visiting trainers Patrick Payne, Symon Wilde, Richard Cully, Luke Oliver and Lindsay Smith all hit Tassie with success last summer and there’s little doubt the raiders will be back in force in 24/25.

Already, Tasracing have secured a commitment from Group 1 winning jockeys Ben Melham, Jamie Kah, Mark Zahra and Damian Lane for riding appearances on the major Cup Days.

Tasmanian racing often relishes the underdog tag, but for the next few months will be embracing the spotlight, and the early signs point towards an outstanding summer of feature racing.

Go to Tasracing for all the latest of the Tasmanian Summer.

This article has been sponsored and produced by Tasracing.