I was delighted today to officially launch the 2020 Ladbrokes Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival.
Tasracing and the host racing clubs – the Devonport Racing Club, the Tasmanian Turf Club and the Tasmanian Racing Club – always deliver an excellent program of racing and entertainment, and this summer will be no exception.
This year’s Carnival, which starts this Wednesday with the running of the Devonport Cup, is set to again attract strong interest from local racegoers, interstate punters, trainers and owners.
The Carnival is not just important for the racing sector, it also represents a major economic boost for Tasmania. Many local businesses, from fashion retailers and hair stylists through to feed suppliers and farriers, are beneficiaries of Carnival events.
More than $5 million in prize money is on offer during the summer racing season with 85 per cent of feature race prizemoney won by Tasmanian horses last year, money that is predominantly invested back in the local racing industry.
The Ladbrokes $100,000 Cups Double Bonus will again be offered for any horse that can win both the Hobart Cup and Launceston Cup, a feat achieved last year by Devonport-trained horse, Eastender.
This year’s Carnival will hold extra significance as it will be the first time races have been run on the redeveloped Elwick thoroughbred track with the official reopening on Tasmanian Derby Day (31 January).
Constructed by Tasmanian company Strathayr, a business based at Richmond that supplies world class race tracks and sporting surfaces internationally, the $12.5 million project was delivered on time and within budget.
This summer also marks Ladbrokes’ first year as the Tasmanian racing industry’s exclusive venue and major race day partner. It has naming rights to the Elwick, Mowbray and Spreyton race tracks, as well as the Tasmanian Summer Thoroughbred Racing Carnival including the Devonport, Hobart and Launceston Cups.
The Ladbrokes Hobart Cup will be run on Sunday 9 February followed by the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup on Wednesday 26 February with the annual Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale to be held on Monday 24 February.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government remains a strong supporter of the Tasmania’s racing industry, which contributes more than $100 million to the local economy each year and involves more than 5,000 participants.