Launceston Cup 2025

Ladbrokes Tip: The Group 3 Hobart Cup is the key lead-up into the Launceston Cup each summer!

The latest edition of the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup ran on Wednesday February 26, 2025 during the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival and was won in a massive 20/1 upset by local hope Distrustful Award who came with a big late run down the outside.

2025 Launceston Cup Results

The full Launceston Cup 2025 Results & Finishing Order will be known on Wednesday February 26, 2025 and published right here so stay tuned.

• 1st: #8 Distrustful Award
• 2nd: #1 Promises Kept
• 3rd: #4 Kaliuwaaa Falls

Peter Luttrell’s local Shamus Award five-year-old Distrustful Award ($21) came with a big late run down the outside on the home stretch to run down the leaders and score an incredible half-length upset over the beaten odds-on favourite Promises Kept ($1.65) in a stunning 2025 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup result to hand jockey Anthony Darmanin a Group 3 double at the meeting.

2025 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup Odds

The updated Launceston Cup 2025 betting odds will be available below as soon as released.

The Ladbrokes Launceston Cup is a popular 2400m staying test run and won at Launceston Racecourse each Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival.

A handicap clash currently offering $250,000 in prize money, the event runs on a Wednesday in late February and is accompanied on the card by the Group 3 Vamos Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares.

The time-honoured Launceston Cup was first contested back in 1865 and has held Group 3 status since 1980.

The Group 3 Hobart Cup (2400m) run a fortnight prior is the key lead-up and the popular Tassie Cups double has been recently completed by Up Cups (2016) and Eastender (2019).

In 2024 Excelleration completed the Launceston Cup – Adelaide Cup double.

Launceston Cup Race Info

• Date: Wednesday February 26, 2025
• Track: Launceston Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: Open Handicap
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1865

Launceston Cup Betting

Launceston Cup betting markets traditionally open after the field is announced on the Friday prior to the popular staying event running at Launceston Racecourse during the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival. 

Stayers with previous Group 3 or higher winning form, those that performed well the previous spring perhaps interstate in similar grade races and the proven Tasmanian runners out of the Hobart Cup field traditionally dominate Launceston Cup odds.

The better class and higher-weighted runners usually head the Launceston Cup markets too as just one horse – Larry’s Never Late (53.5kg in 2010) – has carried under 54kg to victory in the event since 2005.

Launceston Cup Field

The Launceston Cup race field attracts a quality line-up of local staying types each summer/autumn racing season, many of which may have had a lead-up run in Hobart’s Group 3 Hobart Cup (2400m) a fortnight earlier over the same distance. 

Many Launceston Cup hopefuls have contested previous editions of the race. 

Aurora’s Symphony (2022, 2023) is one example winning back-to-back editions of the Group 3 showdown in Tasmania.

Launceston Cup nominations are taken the Wednesday before race week with final acceptances out on the Friday. 

2025 Launceston Cup Field & Barrier Draw

The official Launceston Cup 2025 Field & Barriers are announced by Tas Racing the Friday prior to the race and published in full below so stay tuned for the full line-up of top summer stayers in the mix. 

The 2025 Launceston Cup final field features a smart line-up of autumn stayers with Summer Cup champ Promises Kept tipped to turn the tables on his Hobart Cup winning stablemate Strawberry Rock.

2025 Launceston Cup Nominations

The Launceston Cup 2025 nominations are taken on the Wednesday leading-up to the event and the list of early entries will be available below once announced.

Launceston Cup Tips

Launceston Cup tips include backing the proven Group winners in the field, looking for those with a good Launceston strike-rate and avoiding the mares who have only won the race twice – Glass Warrior (2021) and Epingle (2014) – since 2005. 

Another solid Launceston Cup betting tip is backing the runners drawn in barriers 11 and 12 which have produced four of the nine winners from 2014 – 2022. 

In 2023 Aurora’s Symphony successfully defended his Launceston Cup title winning from barrier one with 55.5kg. 

2025 Launceston Cup Tips

Our expert Launceston Cup 2025 tips will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #1 Promises Kept ($2.40 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Happy to stick with the favourite in Launceston Cup betting this week with the in-form Ciaron Maher trained Cluster gelding Promises Kept bringing in the right form lines to take out the feature in Tassie. This is the five-year-old’s first run at Launceston, but he’s been excellent in his lead-ups at sister track Hobart. Two back he was a 1.75 length winner over stablemate Strawberry Rock in the Summer Cup (2200m). Strawberry Rock turned the tables last time out when getting a 2kg weight turnaround in the Group 3 Hobart Cup (2400m) over the mile and a half. There was only 0.2 lengths on the line between them and in this third encounter in the Apple Isle they meet back equal in the weights with 59kg apiece. That puts Promises Kept firmly on top. Wins.

Launceston Cup Form Guide

The Launceston Cup form guide details all of the must know info like the jockeys, trainers and lead-up form of the stayers in the field along with the official Launceston Cup barrier draw. 

The Launceston Cup form has gone on to hold up in plenty of stronger grade over the years including in 2017 when the winner Big Duke went to Sydney and won the Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m), the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) and finish third in that year’s Group 1 Sydney Cup trifecta over the two miles. Big Duke also finished fourth to Rekindling in the 2017 Melbourne Cup that spring. 

In 2022 the Launceston Cup runner-up Ho Ho Khan franked the form with a next-up fourth to Duais at $61 odds in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m). 

After winner a second Launceston Cup in 2023, Aurora’s Symphony went on to finish second in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Morphettville. 

The 2023 Launceston Cup form was also franked by Spirit Ridge with the third place-getter running well in a host of other races that year including finishing second in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney in the spring. 

2025 Launceston Cup Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Launceston Cup 2025 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

Launceston Cup Results

The Launceston Cup race results have been dominated by quality local stayers.

Notable Launceston Cup winners include historic four-time champion Strop (1866, 1869, 1874, 1876), Vamos (1954, 1955), St. Andrews (2000, 2002, 2003), Geegees Blackflash (2013), Big Duke (2017), Eastender (2019), the latest dual champion Aurora’s Symphony (2022, 2023), and subsequent Adelaide Cup winner Excelleration (2024).

Glass Warrior (2021) was the last mare to win the Launceston Cup.

Launceston Cup Winners

Past Launceston Cup winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.

FAQ

Who won the 2025 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup?

The 2025 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup was won by Distrustful Award at $21 for trainer Peter Luttrell with jockey Anthony Darmanin aboard from barrier 4 on 54kg to win by 0.5 lengths in a time of 2 minutes 30.57 seconds.

When is the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup 2025?

What is the prize money for the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup 2025?

$250,000

Where is the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup 2025?

Launceston Racecourse, Jellico Street, Mowbray Tasmania 7248