Artorius has right credentials for Slipper success
Jockey Luke Currie believes Artorius is the right type to provide him with a victory in one of the majors on the Australian racing calendar.
Currie partners the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained youngster in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday, that along with the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, is considered a major scalp.
Only eight jockeys have won all four races and Currie said he would give back all his Group 1 wins this season for just one.
So far this season, Currie has collected the Manikato Stakes, McKinnon Stakes, Blue Diamond Stakes and Newmarket Handicap.
Currie was aboard Artorius in the Blue Diamond Stakes and travelled to Sydney last week to put the two-year-old through his paces in a trial at Randwick.
It was a similar practice the Freedman stable adopted with their 2019 Blue Diamond winner Lyre who went on to finish third in the Golden Slipper four weeks later.
“He’s had the right prep for it, he just needs the right luck,” Currie said of Artorius.
“He’s going to need speed on, if it’s wet, he’s going to need to handle the wet, and then he needs luck.
“If he gets that, then I think the horse is right up to winning.”
Currie said Artorius would benefit from the trial as he was lost early after jumping from a wide barrier.
“But once he got back inside one, he was fine, then when I came out, he went really straight,” Currie said.
“To win a Slipper he will have to do everything right. He needs to improve off the other day, but he seems like a smart enough horse to do that.
“It’s one of the majors and it would be a good race for me to win.”