Georgina Cartwright excited for Sydney experience

Victorian apprentice Georgina Cartwright is hoping a trip to Sydney will lead to more opportunities in her home state during winter.

The Geelong-based apprentice takes an important city ride when she renews her association with much-loved Jungle Edge in Saturday’s Winter Dash (1200m) at Randwick.

Cartwright has partnered the sprinter twice, landing the prize at Sandown on a heavy track last December before running third at Pakenham.

Jungle Edge’s Sandown win is Cartwright’s solitary Melbourne metropolitan win so far while she has also had success in Adelaide.

With winter in full swing and when an apprentices claim becomes an advantage, Cartwright is hoping Saturday’s Sydney visit will kick-start more opportunities in Melbourne.

“Victoria’s really competitive but I’m trying to work my way in with the three kilo claim,” she said.

“With the wet tracks coming up lots of trainers are looking for a claim so I’m hoping this winter to get going.”

The apprentice certainly wasn’t disappointed to see Sydney hit by rain on Tuesday night and the Randwick track posted in the heavy range.

“He (Jungle Edge) loves the wet so obviously the wetter the better for him,” Cartwright said.

While most of her riding has been done in Victoria and South Australia, Cartwright has experience right-handed on NSW country tracks at Albury, Corowa, Gundagai and Wagga.

She will ride at Pakenham on Thursday and Geelong on Friday before flying to Sydney on Saturday morning and won’t have to watch the calories as Jungle Edge, after her 3kg claim, has 60.5kg.

“I can ride at 50 (kg),” she said.

“I’m hoping to have a fair bit to eat Friday night and put on a bit of weight so there’s not as much dead-weight on his back.

“When I won on him previously he did have a bit of weight that day so it doesn’t seem to worry him.”