Tasmanian jockey Craig Newitt will be chasing an incredible 10th win in the Devonport Cup when the race is run on Wednesday 7 January 2026.
Newitt, who will spend more time in Tasmania over the coming months, said he always looked forward to returning home.
“I have always been taught never to forget where you come from. I love coming back to Tassie, so for the next few months I will be back and forth a bit,” he said.
Newitt won the last two Devonport Cups on the Glenn Stevenson-trained Ashy Boy, his first Devonport Cup win was in 2002.
Newitt said the Devonport Cup was a race he targeted well in advance each year.
“Like any sporting person, you want to win your hometown Cup or Grand Final. It is basically the one race of the year when I start looking for a horse months in advance,” he said.
“I have a couple in the pipeline for this year, so hopefully we can land the right one.”
He has enjoyed an amazing career to date and is approaching 2500 career wins and has amassed 33 Group 1 victories.
The Devonport Cup, including being one of the north west coast’s premium social occasions, is one of the key events in the Ladbrokes Summer Racing Festival.
The festival officially started in Launceston on 21 November when the Barry Campbell-trained Durazzo won the $150,000 Listed Tasmanian Newmarket Handicap.
It will end in Hobart on 28 February when the Group 1 Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup is run for the harness code.
In between these race days, the festival will include the Hobart and Launceston Cups for thoroughbreds (worth $250,000 each), The Chase, the Group 1 Ladbrokes Hobart Thousand and the Ladbrokes Launceston Cup for greyhounds and The Golden Apple and the Hobart and Devonport Cups for harness.
Tasracing chief executive officer Andrew Jenkins said all parts of the state would feature in the festival.
“It is clearly very important that we position ourselves as a statewide industry to the national market,” he said.
“There will obviously be group race days in our cities, but also Country Cup days at Longford, St Marys, Scottsdale and Burnie.
“More than 10,000 people attend those country race days alone in last year’s festival.
“It is equally important to highlight Tasmania as a racing destination and promote the entertainment aspect of the race days.”
Entain Australia CEO Andrew Vouris said Ladbrokes was a proud racing-first brand.
“We love the sport and we believe in its participants,” he said.
“Our investment in Tasmanian racing is not just about putting our name on a race. It is about helping build a product that engages punters, supports participants and showcases the very best of Tasmanian racing.
“We are all looking forward to a fantastic festival of racing and feel privileged to play a small part in it.
“It is a great time of year to be racing, and we wish the very best of luck to everyone involved.”
The festival also incorporates the harness yearling sale on 14 February and the Magic Millions yearling sale on 23 February. Both sales will be held at Quercus Park at Carrick.
Just under $80,000 will be given to local sporting and community clubs as part of the Ladbrokes Community Sports Series.
Clubs are invited to enter a draw to be selected to have a horse running in their name on each of the three main thoroughbred cup days.
More than 150 clubs have already registered their interest.