Laugher tasting success in Tassie campaign

Victorian reinsman Jack Laugher is putting the runs on the board in a harness racing campaign in his former home state of Tasmania.

The 26-year-old, who is closing in on 1000 driving wins, left Tasmania eight years ago to pursue his driving career, but is temporarily back home with a 10-horse team.

“It’s been nice to get home because I don’t get the chance very often,” Laugher said.

“A change is as good as a holiday, and it’s been good to get away from the grind to somewhere different.”

Laugher recorded his first win of the campaign in the Raider Stakes prelude at Launceston with Do It (Always B Miki), prepared by another travelling Victorian trainer Tayla Fellows on July 6.

See the replay here: https://https://form.tasracing.com.au/replays/H_Launceston_20250706?race=undefined

He then followed up at the same track a week later for his father Michael with lightly-raced pacer Coniston (Stay Hungry), the third win for the three-year-old from just seven starts.

“He went pretty well. He’s only a lightly-framed horse, so I think maybe he is benefitting from going out on the grass down here, which we haven’t got at home,” he said.

“Hopefully, he can win a couple more while he’s down here. He’s pretty lightly raced, but he has plenty of ability I think.”

Watch Coniston’s win here: https://https://form.tasracing.com.au/replays/H_Launceston_20250711?race=undefined

Based at Bendigo, Laugher prepares his father Michael’s Victorian team of around 15 horses and helps his partner Ellen Tormey with her large team. Between them the couple work around 30 horses.

Michael Laugher is based at Westbury, in the foothills of the picturesque mountains of the Great Western Tiers and Jack said the travelling team had adjusted quickly to the Tasmanian conditions – perhaps a little too well!

“They are all jumping out of their skin and I think they’re doing pretty well getting out in the grass paddocks,” Laugher said.

“Some of the older ones I have down here like Budd Sidewinder and Twisted Bliss don’t usually pull in their races or in their work, but they’re all up on the bit and charging around in the warmup. I might have to work them a bit harder, I think!”

The primary focus of the Tasmanian trip is the $30,000 2YO Sweepstakes Series for promising youngsters Chain Smoke and My Fatal Charm, but Laugher said the prizemoney generally was making the trip worthwhile.

“We paid up for the Sweepstakes with four or five of our yearlings last year, but only two, have stood up for now – the others showed some promise but just needed the paddock,” he said.

“The filly (My Fatal Charm) has had two starts down here for two seconds and she’s earnt $2300 each time – so she’s picked up nearly $5000 and hasn’t won a race yet.”

While the logistics of such a campaign are not easy, Laugher said it had been worthwhile.

“It is a big undertaking to come down – it’s not like jumping on the freeway and heading to Menangle. I brought a couple of the horses across on the boat in the float, and Steven Davis brought the rest in his truck,” he said.

“You have to put everything else on hold because you can’t be in two places at once and Ellen’s still working a big team at home.

“I raced seven horses last week and only had one winner and a couple of placings and I kind of felt a bit of a failure – then added up what I’d earnt, and it was nearly 11K. It does make a difference. Things are pretty hard in Victoria at the moment.”

Laugher’s trip has also served as a reminder of the unique charm of his home state.

“I’ve been really lucky there hasn’t been too much cold weather since I’ve been here. It was pretty cold and blowing a gale on Sunday night when I got home from Hobart – and then on Monday morning, it was perfect weather and the snow was on the mountains,” he said.

“I don’t ever remember realizing when I lived here how beautiful the place really is.”

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink