Jim Curtin brings up 1700th win

By Mike Love 

It was same horse - same result for Jim Curtin. 

The Canterbury-based trainer-driver drove his 1700th winner when Samvasa, trained by Bruce Hutton, won the Endura Snowy River Gold Mobile Pace at Reefton yesterday. 

“It’s very good to get there - I’d been waiting on it a while,” said Curtin. 

Interestingly, Curtin’s previous win to yesterday was on the same horse, at the same track - Samvasa at Reefton back on December 30.  

The five-year-old Bettors Delight gelding had to overcome a tricky draw of two the second line, but Curtin showed his class as a driver to somehow lead after 600m. 

From there Curtin and Samvasa never looked in doubt, scooting right away to win by two-and-three-quarter-lengths. 

“He won very nicely. He enjoys that track.”

Curtin has always been a driver and trainer to follow when it comes to the Coast circuit - recently reaching a milestone at Patterson Park when driving his 100th winner on the course back on Boxing Day. 

The win was voted the year's Best Moment at January's Harness Racing New Zealand's annual awards.  

“It’s been a good run over there. It’s always been a place I love to go to with the horses," says Curtin. 

While his two New Zealand Cup wins with Bee Bee Cee (1994) and Terror To Love (2011) are obvious highlights, Oaxaca Lass’ win in the 2003 Chariots Of Fire at Menangle is also right up there for Curtin. 

“It was a super run. We got checked about the 400m, we thought it was all over but she still got back up to win. It was an incredible effort.” 

Curtin’s 1700 New Zealand winners have come since his first with Westburn Vue at Timaru in 1977.

His best season came with 60 winners in the 1994 season while in the training ranks Curtin has trained 320 winners and currently trains a team of around 12 from his Templeton base.