Brighton Cup kicks off busy 2026 feature period in Tassie

The countdown to next Sunday’s Listed Hobart Pacing Cup continues in Hobart this Sunday, with the Fehlbergs Produce Brighton Cup (2090m), where the Todd Rattray-trained and driven open-class pacer Magician (Sweet Lou) makes his race track return for the first time since May.

Among his harness racing rivals are the impressive last-start standing-start Carrick Park track record holder Magnetic Terror, last year’s Brighton Cup winner The Shallows, and the 2024 Brighton Cup winner Lynryd Skynryd.

Magician, a gelded son of Sweet Lou, had seven starts last season, including a win in a heat of the Tasmania Cup.

Those seven starts came on the back of a Sydney preparation which included contesting heats of the 2024 Inter Dominion series.

Rattray has given the pacer two recent trials at Carrick Park, winning both. His most recent trial was a 1.3m win on 22 December.

“It’s good to have him back,” said Rattray.

“He is a horse that always needs a run or two.

“He is one of those horses that only does what he has to do (in track work) and is hard to get a gauge on.

The trainer-driver indicated the Tasmania Cup series next month is one he is targeting with not only Magician, but also Star Major, who lines up in the Brighton Cup, with Liam Older to take the reins.

“It has been too hard off 30m for him (of late).

“He is going as well as he can, and they broke the track record at Carrick last week, and he came off 30m,” said Rattray about the pacer’s recent effort when fifth.

Older has driven Star Major in one previous start, when finishing second to Triedtotellya in late May.

The driver’s talent in the sulky was on show at Melton on Wednesday night when he competed in the Young Gun series, finishing third on the points table for the eight-race series.

Both Magician and Star Major will start from the second line in the Brighton Cup, which is a mobile start event drawn on the pacers national ratings.

Sunday’s Hobart program will be held in the afternoon and commence at 12:42, kicking off a busy period for the state’s best pacers.

Upcoming Tassie harness features

• 9/01/26 North Eastern Pacing Cup – Scottsdale
• 11/01/26 Listed Hobart Pacing Cup
• 18/01/26 Burnie Cup
• 31/01/26 Listed Devonport Cup – Launceston
• 13/02/26 Heat One Tasmania Cup – Hobart
• 20/02/26 Heat Two Tasmania Cup – Hobart
• 22/02/26 Meander Valley Cup – Carrick Park
• 28/02/26 Group 1 Tasmania Cup & George Johnson – Hobart

For complete race entries, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing