Cricket
Motorsport
Basketball test
League - Test
Combat Sports
Netball
Football
Distrustful Award is back to defend his Longford Cup title
Tasracing • December 31st, 2025 10:28 am
Last year's winner, Distrustful Award, who went on to win the 2025 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup, will be back to defend his Longford Cup title on New Year’s Day.
Distrustful Award hasn't raced since finishing second last in the Geelong Cup in October, where the slow tempo didn’t suit him.
“He didn’t have very long off, so he has done a fair bit of work”, trainer Peter Luttrell said.
“He seems like he has strengthened up a little bit. He didn’t put a lot of weight on while he had some time off. I left him over in Melbourne after the Geelong Cup, and he spent some time at Sean Buckley’s stud, and they looked after him really well for me.”
Distrustful Award has been allocated the top weight of 60kg, but that will be reduced to 56kg after the claim for apprentice Kirra-Lee Lane.
“He’s thrown in at the weights; I thought he might get a bit more than 60kg.
“Kirra-Lee trialled him for me at Launceston before his last prep, and she handled him ok, so I was quite happy to put her on and pull the four kilos off. I think he’s going to be right in the race. John Blacker's horse (Wineglass Bay) looks to be the one to beat.”
After winning the Launceston Cup last season with Distrustful Award, Luttrell is keen to have another crack at that race, with the Hobart Cup also a target.
“Depending on how things work out, I’m looking to run him in both the Hobart and Launceston Cups,” Luttrell said.
It will be a big day at the home track for Luttrell, as he has his entire team of seven entered for the meeting.
“I’ll have a couple of easy days after the meeting,” Luttrell said with a laugh.
And while he is confident his stable star will run well in the Cup, it’s another from his team who he believes is his best winning chance.
“Seditious Award is in the 1400m maiden; she has been going along quite well, and I think she will be very competitive in that race.”
Along with Distrustful Award in the Cup, Luttrell thinks he has a strong chance in the last race with both Zurich and Captain Morgan.
With a forecast top of 24 degrees, organisers are expecting a bumper crowd for the popular once-a-year meeting.
The first race is timed for 13:18. The Cup is race seven on an eight-race card.
