Currie and Lyre return after their Blue Diamond Stakes win (Image: Racing Photos)
Luke Currie has won three Group 1 races this season and has two excellent opportunities to add to his tally this weekend aboard horses upon which he's already claimed races at the highest level.
Currie regains the ride aboard Sunlight in the $500,000 Group 1 Keogh Homes William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Friday night before travelling to Sydney for one ride, Lyre, in Saturday's $3.5 million G1 Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
The 37-year-old rider sat on Lyre for the first time when winning the $1.5m G1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 23 and reacquainted himself with Anthony Freedman's filly when winning a 1050-metre Rosehill trial on March 14.
"I've only been on her a couple of times but all her runs she's improved off the back of each run. So if she could improve off the back of her Blue Diamond win it gives her a great chance this week," Currie said.
"She's untried on wet ground on race day but she was really good on it in her trial (on Soft 7 ground) and from all reports she galloped on a Heavy (10) through the week at Randwick and loved it.
"The wetter the better I think for her at the moment. I'm really looking forward to Saturday."
WATCH: Lyre's Blue Diamond win
When asked to nominate a danger in the Golden Slipper, Currie describes the race as being 'pretty open'.
"You could name 10 of them and still miss the winner. But obviously the Snowdens' horse that won the other day (Cosmic Force) looked pretty smart and more importantly got through the (wet) track so he's probably deservedly favourite," Currie said.
Lyre is fifth favourite to win the Golden Slipper, assessed as a $12 chance with BetEasy behind $4.50 favourite Cosmic Force.
Meanwhile, Sunlight is clearly the horse to beat in the William Reid after the scratching of key danger Shoals on Thursday afternoon.
Shoals was priced as $3.10 second favourite for the William Reid with BetEasy behind $2.30 favourite Sunlight, with Written By the only other runner in single figures at $9.50 but Sunlight is now odds-on favourite at $1.60 with Written By tightening into $6.50.
Sunlight won her ninth race from 14 starts when leading throughout in the $1.25m G1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 9 under Barend Vorster.
It was Sunlight's second Group 1 for the season after winning the $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington with Currie aboard on Derby Day.
"It's always hard to watch them win without you aboard but there wasn't much I could do about it, she only had 50.5kg (in the Newmarket) and I'd have to cut both my legs off to make that weight," Currie said.
"I was still happy to see her win and it'd be nice to see her win this Friday night."
WATCH: Sunlight's Newmarket win
Currie partnered Sunlight in a trackwork gallop at The Valley on Monday morning, the three-year-old daughter of Zoustar galloping on her own and covering 1000m in 1:07.19 with her final 400m in 24.48 seconds.
Currie defused pre-race chatter of Sunlight not handling the tight-turning Valley circuit, fueled by her luckless defeat in the $1m G1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) last October when finishing seventh.
"I think had she got a clear crack at them in the Manikato she probably would have won that and then there would be no problem, I don't think the track is the concern," Currie said.
"I'm probably concerned more with the draw, she's drawn the outside. I haven't spoken to Tony (McEvoy) and we'll have to sit down and work out a plan but it's not ideal the outside draw over 1200 metres at The Valley."