Jockey Matthew Cartwright is hoping the stars will be in alignment when he partners family favourite Curran at The Valley.
Curran runs in the Dominant Sanitation Solutions Handicap (1200m) on Saturday looking to break a four-run losing streak.
A former member of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable, Curran was picked up as a family horse for Cartwright’s family and has topped $370,000 in prize money from his four wins and four placings from 13 starts.
Curran is trained by Cartwright’s grandmother and mother, Lyn Tolson and Leonie Proctor respectively, while his father Rikki Cartwright, a former jockey, has a share in the ownership of the gelding.
The four-year-old has not raced since finishing seventh to Marabi in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Boxing Day which followed a sixth-place finish behind Enthaar in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on November 27.
On both occasions Curran had been slow into stride before running home strongly.
Tolson had been keen to try Curran over 1400 metres and the gelding was down to run over that trip at Caulfield on January 8 but was a race day scratching.
Instead, the family has brought Curran back to 1200m on Saturday, although the stumbling block may be barrier 12 in the 14-horse field.
But Curran is the highest handicapped runner in Saturday’s line-up and does not appear too badly treated especially after Cartwright’s 2kg claim and fresh off a riding double at Sandown on Wednesday.
“I’m expecting him to bounce back,” Cartwright said.
“We’ve got an awkward draw, but he can overcome the awkward draw and if I can give him a good ride, I expect him to be going close to winning.”
Curran is an $8 chance in betting with TAB in which In The Boat, aiming to make it four straight wins, is the $3.10 favourite.
