Launceston Cup Trivia and Facts
- Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:00
FACTS ABOUT THE AAMI LAUNCESTON CUP
Following are some interesting facts, snippets and fillers about the history and tradition of the AAMI Launceston Cup.
AAMI Launceston Cup Day Wednesday, February 26, 2003 at Mowbray.
Historic thoroughbred race
The $200,000 AAMI Launceston Cup (Group 3) on February 26 is one of Tasmanias oldest races. It was first run in 1865 as the Champion race with between 6000 to 7000 people attending the Mowbray course. The cup name was added the following year to become the Launceston Champion Cup. The inaugural winner was the six-year-old Panic, an English import some four years earlier and a stallion who mixed stud duties with racing. Even in those times, interstate trainers eyed the rich prize with six Victorian entrants challenging four from Tasmania. The race was run over three-miles with Panic winning easily in 5min. 53 sec.
The 1866 winner of the AAMI Launceston Cup was Strop, sired by Panic and returning a better winning time of 5min.48sec.
Strop was sensational
The 16.1 hands gelding Strop retains a special place in AAMI Launceston Cup folklore. He made his racing debut when winning the race as a four-year-old in 1866 and added three more victories in this race in 1869, 1874 and in 1876. He was the first to complete the AAMI Hobart Cup-Launceston Cup double and its remarkable that he achieved these 1876 successes as a 14-year-old.
Oliver travels
Victorias premier jockey Damien Oliver has won the AAMI Launceston Cup twice and in successive years. Oliver won on Kings Landing for trainer Ken Sweeney in 1998 and scored on the Robert Smerdon-trained four-year-old gelding Streak in 1999.
Eight unique jockeys
Top Tasmanian jockey Stephen Maskiell joined the ranks of an elite few last year when he became one of only eight jockeys to win the AAMI Hobart-Launceston Cups in the same season.
Maskiell partnered the George Blacker-trained St. Andrews when victorious in both of the Group 3 2400 metre events.
Other jockeys to have achieved the same feat are Harry White in 1988 (Brisque in Hobart, Superior Way in Launceston), Tommy Unkovich in 1949 on The Artist (both cups), Ossie Phillips in 1930 aboard Tarapunga (both cups), George Jordan in 1920 on Trusty Blade (both cups, although he dead-heated in Hobart), P ONeill aboard Ladino (Hobart) and Ordella (Launceston) in 1918, J Hayes on Chesterfield in both cups of 1903 and J Lang on Spark in 1877 (both cups).
Recent riding records
Jockey Stephen Maskiell has the best recent record of AAMI Launceston Cup successes with three victories all for trainer George Blacker. They teamed for Bitter Springs win in 1991 and the dual victories of St. Andrews in 2000 and 2002.
Those with two AAMI Launceston Cup successes are Tasmanias Corey Kingston (1995 and 1996) and Victorias Damien Oliver (1998 and 1999).
Free Beer
Free Beer was the toast of Tasmania in 1996 when winning the AAMI Launceston Cup for a second time. However, a year earlier he was 66/1 and the races longest priced winner. He is the last horse to have won the event in successive years. The victories provided trainer Gary White with a tally of three AAMI Launceston Cups following an earlier success with Scruples in 1985.
Free Beers successive victories have credited jockey Corey Kingston with two AAMI Launceston Cups.
More recently, the George Blacker-trained St.Andrews has gone close to achieving the hat-trick having won the AAMI Launceston Cup in 2000 and 2002 and runner-up when carrying 56kg behind Full Of Rhythm in 2001.
Training records
Former jockey Bill Clare trained nine AAMI Launceston Cup winners between 1885 and 1911, but the nearest of the modern-day trainers are Gary White and George Blacker with three wins each. White had winners in 1985 (Scruples) and 1995-96 (Free Beer), while Blacker was successful in 1991 (Bitter Spring) and 2000 and 2002 (both with St. Andrews). Trainers with dual victories include Len Dixon (Jessephenie, 1979; Andrias, 1982) and Tony Vasil (Diamond Bases, 1993; Full Of Rhythm, 2001).
Hobart-Launceston Cup double
St. Andrews stamped himself as one of Tasmanias best stayers when becoming the first horse since the mighty New Zealander Brallos in 1976 and 1977 to win the AAMI Hobart and Launceston Cups in the same year. There are now 16 horses to have completed the feat.
However, Brallos, trained by Tom Luxton, was an iron horse, having taken out all features in those seasons with the 1976-77 Devonport Cup wins being the first of his trebles.
Media Release - AAMI Launceston Cup
