STAR apprentice Siggy Carr could cap a milestone week in her racing career by riding Geegees Doublejay to victory in the Quality Handicap at Mowbray on Wednesday night.
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Carr, 27, has returned home to live after 18 months in Adelaide where she made her mark at the top level and on Monday night was named dux of the South Australian Apprentice Academy.
After starting her Adelaide adventure in a blaze of glory – riding four winners at a city meeting the same month that she arrived – Carr went on to ride 16 metropolitan winners in her first full season.
However she has ridden only three city winners so far this season and told The Examiner two months ago that, due to a lack of city rides, she had decided to return to Tasmania.
‘‘My main reason for being here is to use my metropolitan claim and, if I’m only getting one or two rides a meeting, I may as well be back home,’’ Carr said.
‘‘I’m getting heaps of rides at the provincials but I can get provincial rides in Tasmania – and probably better quality rides – while at the same time being home with my family.
“But moving to South Australia was still the best thing I’ve ever done – it gave me great opportunities and definitely made me a better rider.’’
Carr said it was also ‘‘quite a big deal’’ to be named dux of the academy, which carries the prize of an all-expenses paid trip to Singapore to ride at the famous Kranji Racecourse.
Carr is assured of good opportunities over the Tasmanian summer carnival as she is doing the bulk of the riding for leading owners Paul and Elizabeth Geard who have several outstanding prospects.
Geegees Doublejay is one of them and, despite being burdened with 60 kilograms, is sure to start a hot favourite for Wednesday night’s non-claiming race over 1100 metres.
The four-year-old, who has won 11 of his 21 starts, is coming off a dead-heat second behind Hellova Street in the $100,000 Newmarket Handicap where he led but was given no peace before going down by a narrow margin.
Carr has ridden Geegees Doublejay five times for three wins and two placings.