THOROUGHBRED Tarcutta has shown he has a real knack for winning races on Anzac Day at Murwillumbah over 900 metres.

The rising 10-year-old gelding’s record stands at two wins and a second place over the past three Anzac Day meetings, including last year’s victory in a nail-biting finish when accounting for race favourite Linconi by a head.

Expectations are high that age has not wearied Tarcutta and he will be prominent as the field nears the judge in tomorrow’s 900m Benchmark 60 Coral-Balmoral handicap at the Tweed River Jockey Club.

While his form has been patchy of late, he has also managed some nice runs, including a close-up third at a barrier trial in Lismore a fortnight ago.

Tarcutta’s trainer Danny Bowen is one of the leaders in the Northern Rivers Racing Association premiership and has been looking to the April 25 meeting for some time as a means of rejuvenating his charge.

Bowen, who is based at Ballina, says the muscular chestnut grows an extra leg over the sprint journey at Murwillumbah.

“He’s a great old horse, carrying a few wounds, but he deserves to win,” Bowen said.

“We’ve freshened him up for this because he’s been up for so long, so we thought we’d give him a trial and get the zest back into him.

“He did well, so he could be making history on Sunday.

“It’s his fourth Anzac Day in a row and it would be quite an achievement if he won.

“He’s been a great horse over the years and there are lots of apprentices who’ve honed their skills riding him and partnering him at barrier trials, so you could almost consider him a riding pony, he’s that likeable.”

Bowen’s senior stable jockey Darren Coleman will pilot Tarcutta tomorrow.

Coleman has ridden Tarcutta at each of his previous Murwillumbah wins.