Well-travelled French jockey Ryan Curatolo will add another country to his career passport when he starts a three-month stint in Queensland.
The accomplished rider, who has more than 500 winners to his name in eight countries, will base himself at Eagle Farm in Brisbane with trainers Chris and Corey Munce as he looks to expand his CV in Australia.
Curatolo, 32, spent the first nine months riding in Singapore until the curtain was permanently closed on racing at Kranji in early October, leading the globe-trotting jockey to return to Japan for another short-term contract to ride on the National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit.
While he started his career in France - his first ride was in 2009 at Saint Cloud; incidentally, he is yet to win a race in his home country - Curatolo has spent the majority of his career riding in the United States.
He considered riding again in California but instead he has chosen to embark on his latest international riding adventure in Queensland.
It was former Queensland and Singapore steward Peter Chadwick who suggested to Curatolo that he try his hand at race riding in Australia and he was put in touch with former champion jockey turned Group 1-winning trainer Chris Munce.
“Japan has asked me to go back again in April, but I really like the racing here, so I will see how it goes,” Curatolo told The Straight.
“I really enjoy travelling, but what's good about Australia for me (is the weight scale). Basically, I can only ride in California because it's a 54-kilogram minimum, which is very similar to Australia.”
Curatolo also rode 94 winners in Macau, his second most successful jurisdiction behind America where he has ridden 240 winners, while he also rode 76 winners in Singapore across three stints.
He has also ridden 58 winners in Japan while he also returned to the winner’s enclosure in Qatar, Dubai, South Korea and Malaysia.
Capable of riding at 54kg, Curatolo could have his first Australian race rides at Eagle Farm on Wednesday for Sunshine Coast-based trainer James Moore, whose father Gary and brother Nicholas both trained in Macau.
Curatolo has already arrived in Brisbane with his Singaporean wife, Dayle, and he will officially meet Munce on Monday.
He arrives in Australia in form, having ridden 14 winners during his most recent stint on the NRA circuit.
“Japan is really enjoyable and the culture is nice,” the jockey said.
“The racing is suitable for me and I've been winning a lot of races. I was there for the last seven weeks and I won 14 races for the term.”
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Curatolo, who won the 2018 locally recognised Group 1 Qatar Derby, subsequently rode with success in Dubai before riding for a third and final season in Singapore, saluting the judge on 40 occasions.
Brazilian Manoel Nunes, who rode 58 winners at Kranji in 2024, equal with premiership winner Bruno Queiroz, has also relocated to Australia since the closure of the Singapore racing industry.
Nunes, who is based in Adelaide, has ridden 18 winners in South Australia so far this season.
Kranji trainers Tim Fitzsimmons and Daniel Meagher have relocated to Victoria to continue their careers.
