Launceston Cup: Northern sporting clubs in with chance to win $10,000

Smith has a base at Warnambool in the south of Victoria, but to diversify his operation, Smith is now also racing horses in Tasmania out of the Seven Mile Beach stables of trainer Imogen Miller.

The partnership is paying early dividends.

From just seven starts in Tasmania this season, Smith already has four wins, including the Group 3 Mystic Journey Stakes with Yellow Sam.

"I love Tasmania; the conditions are great, the people are laid back, and Imogen and Brendon (McCoull) have been fantastic," Smith said.

Yellow Sam is favourite to make it a clean sweep of the state's Group 3 fillies and mares features when she steps out in the Armidale Stud Vamos Stakes (1400m) in Launceston on Wednesday.

"She's doing really well. She's a bit of a full-on type of mare; she seems to really enjoy the beach," said Imogen Miller, confirming the horse has remained in Tasmania since the win on February 9.

Miller's stable produced the quinella in the Mystic Journey, where her stable star Alvarinho finished second, beaten by half-a-length.

That quinella heads the market for the Vamos, where Yellow Sam has been backed from $3.20 into $2.60, and Alvarinho is $5.50.

"(I'm) pretty happy with how Alvarinho has come along between runs. The barrier (five) will hopefully make a difference this time, so we're looking forward to Wednesday," Miller said, noting that Alvarinho drew 14/14 in the Mystic Journey.

The Vamos has attracted a quality field, including the first two home from last year's race, Jaja Chaboogie and Sirene Stryker.

Hellova Street Stakes

Victorian visitor Keats is the $2.50 favourite to take out the $125,000-listed Hellova Street Stakes (1600m).

The Gavin Bedggood-trained seven-year-old gelding won the Werribee Cup three starts ago on December 10 over a mile, a distance that has produced four of his seven career victories.

The free-rolling on-pacer is one of only two horses in Wednesday's weight-for-age feature that didn't run in the listed Thomas Lyons (1400m) last start, the other being the John Keys-trained Sir Simon ($26).

Just A Tribute was a surprise winner of the Thomas Lyons for Hall of Fame trainer Gary White, and he's again being a little overlooked by the market in Launceston, rated a $10 chance while horses he beat home there, such as First Accused ($3.60), Turk Warrior ($6.50) and Alpine Wolf ($8) are shorter in the betting.

Formerly known as the George Adams, 2024 is the second year that the race will be run as the Hellova Street, won last year by The Inevitable.

The 2024 Community Sports Series (LCSS) is a part of Launceston Cup Day for the first time in 2024, where race four, a benchmark 64 (1200m), will allow 14 northern sporting clubs a chance to win $10,000.

During the Summer Racing Festival, the Turners Beach Cricket Club and Colebrook Golf Club have been the major beneficiaries of the LCSS across both Devonport and Hobart Cup Days.

A sliding scale of prize money ensures that all 14 clubs receive a minimum of $500, but at the pointy end, the first home receives $10,000, second $5000 and third $2500.

The draw for Wednesday's LCSS leg is below: