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A second Hobart Cup win on Sunday for jockey Sigrid Carr will justify her decision to return home to Tasmania to pursue her career in familiar territory after testing herself as far afield as Singapore.

Carr, a member of one of Tasmania’s best known racing families and known to all and sundry as Siggy, is happy to call the Apple Isle home after a successful stay in Adelaide that opened the door to a stint in Singapore.

Now 28, she left Tasmania for Adelaide in the 2014/2015 season after a spectacular rise through the riding ranks after beginning her riding career as a mature apprentice at the age of 24 in 2012 under her father, leading Hobart trainer Royston Carr.

Having worked as stable foreman and track rider for her father, she was lured to a career in the saddle and was crowned Tasmania’s champion apprentice in 2013/14 after riding more than 90 winners in her first 18 months.

Carr’s success had her eager to broaden her horizons and that led to her move to Adelaide where she joined the John Hyam stable at Morphettville. She rode more than 60 winners, her success and work ethic resulting in her becoming Dux of the SA Apprentices School.

That honour carried the bonus of a stint in Singapore with trainer Shane Baertschiger. She rode at Kranji for three weeks last year in what was her first ever trip outside Australia.

Carr had 20 rides in Singapore for seven placings and regarded the stay at Kranji as the best experience of her career.

“The track and facilities at Kranji were amazing. I really enjoyed it,” said Carr, who also had limited opportunities to ride in Melbourne.

“I have ridden at Flemington and Moonee Valley and won one race aboard Beach Front for Brent Stanley.”

Carr returned home last year as she found it increasingly hard to pursue her riding career away from her son Dylan.

“I was really grateful for my time in Adelaide but family comes first and I am very happy to be home and riding in Tasmania,” she said.

She has now ridden almost 240 winners and is currently third on this season’s Tasmanian ladder with 29 wins, seven behind the leader David Pires.

She has won seven black type races during her career with the highlight being her win on Tasmanian champion Geegees Blackflash in the 2015 Hobart Cup.

On Sunday she rides one of her favourite horses Geegees Goldengirl in the $200,000 Luxbet Hobart Cup (2400m) for the owners of Geegees Blackflash, Paul and Elizabeth Geard.

Carr has won five races on the Stuart Gandy-trained Geegees Goldengirl including her easy last start win in the Summer Cup (2200m) at Elwick on January 22 and believes there is a perfect omen for her to win Sunday’s big race for a second time as the recently retired Geegees Blackflash will lead the field to the barrier.

“Goldengirl is in great form and the barrier is perfect for her,” Carr said. “She was very impressive winning the Summer Cup carrying 3kg more weight and we couldn’t be happier with her going into the Cup.”

Geegees Blackflash, retired after two life-threatening operations in the past 12 months, won two Hobart Cups, a Launceston Cup and Tasmanian Derby among his 22 wins that made him the first Tasmanian horse to win more than $1 million prizemoney without ever racing outside his home state.

“We couldn’t think of a better way for him to say goodbye to racing,” Paul Geard said.

“It will be a very emotional moment for us. If Geegees Goldengirl wins the Cup I don’t think there will be a dry eye in the place.”

Local stayers have won three of the past five Hobart Cups, but in the previous decade it was all interstate raiders winning the race 10 times since 2003.