Talented Tasmanian-born reinsman Josh Duggan celebrated the biggest win of his career when he partnered Victorian pacer Lets Elope to an emphatic harness racing victory in the $40.000 UBET Tasmania Cup in Hobart yesterday.

The Brent Lilley-trained gelding was given the run of the race by Duggan who had the seven-year-old settled just beyond midfield in the one-out line and poised to pounce when the leaders started to feel the pressure in the back straight the last time.

Duggan eased his charge out four-wide to make his run 500 metres from home but he had the well-backed Star Chamber (Nathan Ford) breathing down his neck.

But when Lets Elope hit the front Duggan called on the gelding for the supreme effort and he had delivered the goods to go on and hit the line seven metres clear of Star Chamber with outsider Outback Mach almost 109 metres away third.

Duggan, 23, is the son of star Tasmanian reinsman Ricky Duggan and his wife Linda.

Instead of staying in Tasmania to follow in his father's footsteps he opted to venture to Victoria six years ago to try and carve a career from the industry.

"I wasn't going to come home for Christmas this year until Brett Lilley asked if I'd drive this horse here in Tassie for two starts," Duggan said.

"He was second in Launceston last week but he had to do it tough and was beaten by Star Chamber but the roles were reversed today and it was our turn."

"You hope to win a lot bigger races but it is really special to come home and win the state's biggest event at my first drive in the race."

"When the others in front of us had done so much hard work I knew my horse would be hard to beat and that Star Chamber would be the only danger."

"But in the home straight my horse was strong and finished it off like a good horse," he said.

Duggan has worked for Chris and Alice Alford since he arrived in Victoria in 2009 and at the start of this season he outdrove his novice driver's claim.

"I've been working for Chris and Alice (Alford) for six years now and without their support I wouldn't be where I am today in this industry," he said.

Peter Staples