Victorian colt Mister Wickham had a five star rating before he won his first race in May last year.
He was sold for big dollars prior to opening his tally with a Bendigo race victory and went on to win at G2 level in his juvenile year. But the shooting star was almost extinguished as quick as it shone when Mister Wickham was cut down with a severe lung infection.
Gippsland trainer Lee Evison rated one of the best in the business for nursing horses, patiently returned Mister Wickham to health and in March this year the Longwarry flyer returned triumphant to etch his name in the history books at Warragul, pacing the fastest mile rate ever record around the renovated 1790-metre circuit, 1.55.4.
That victory heralded Mister Wickham’s return.
On Saturday night the talented colt beat all bar Victoria Derby winner Menin Gate in the Group One Vicbred Super Series 3yo (G&G) Final at Melton. Buoyed by that performance Evison is keen to follow the sun north to Queensland and have a crack at the $150,000 G1 Queensland Derby (2680m) at Albion Park on Saturday week.
Mister Wickham, a lightly raced son of Julius Caesar, is already a G2 race winner taking out the Empire Home Grown Classic Final at Melton last year but in his short 15 start career he is yet to break through at the elite level. Evison has prepared some talented horses over the last couple of decades but he rates Mister Wickham as the best horse he has ever trained.
“I think he is good enough for the Derby and we would really like to go for it,” Evison said. “I’m assessing everything now, already planning the trip with a Dubbo stopover, I am keen and the owners are keen to just target this one race in Queensland.”
Mister Wickham followed Menin Gate every step of the way in Saturday night’s Group 1 and sprinted to the line strongly to hold the runner up spot over Follow The Stars and Wingara. Menin Gate rated 1:55.6 for the 2240m trip, sprinting home in 56.1secs. “We drew behind the leader and you would look at the race and think Mister Wickham had the ‘suck run’, but I believe had the tables been turned and we drew one the result could have been reversed too, this horse can withstand an enormous amount of pressure when he is in front.”
Mister Wickham has won six races and just over $80,000 in prizemoney. This year his form has been good. He backed the comeback win up with a 1.54.7 mile victory at Yarra Valley in April before taking on some of Victoria’s best and there was only a metre or two separating Follow The Stars, Burnaholeinmypocket, My Kiwi Mate and Mister Wickham in the Kilmore 3yo Classic in May.
“I’ve purposely matched him against the good horses here and when you line his form up with the good horses currently in Queensland for the carnival, it stacks up,” Evison said. “He is a better stayer than he is a sprinter and the Derby looks a perfect race for him if we can make the field. I’m expecting Menin Gate and Larry Eastman to be there too so it’s going to be a good race to be in.”
All going to plan, Mister Wickham will stay in Queensland post the winter carnival with Evison taking advice from good friend Peter Moody to spell the horse in the Queensland sunshine. “ The lung infection did knock him around but as his form indicates he is getting better and stronger all the time and there is no question that the warmer climate will do him the world of good.”
Evison has won 325 races since making his debut as a harness racing trainer in 1994-95.
By David Aldred
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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