He isn’t the best horse Tracey Bartley has put a saddle on, but McCormack does have a claim to fame.
The six-year-old’s last win was almost two years ago when he claimed the scalp of subsequent Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Think It Over in a benchmark race at Randwick.
While McCormack struggled for form the following season, he has enjoyed a resurgence this year and is knocking on the door for another win.
Bartley is hoping that comes at Rosehill on Saturday when the gelding lines up in his eighth Midway Handicap (1200m).
“He is happy and he’s sound. I think he will race really well this prep,” Bartley said.
“He has raced really well his last couple of preps, he has ticked over fine and he’s in a really good space.
“It looks like it is going to be wet, which he doesn’t mind. It probably brings the others back to him.”
McCormack has finished runner-up in three Midways and looked to have returned in good order when resuming with a fourth to Pandora Blue in the same grade last month.
He has a sound second-up record and from barrier nine for Keagan Latham, Bartley regards him as a good chance to break his winning drought.
“It was a good run (first-up) and he was a tad unlucky,” he said.
“If he had got the split a bit earlier it would have been better, but he worked to the line well.”
McCormack has been a great horse for his connections, winning six of his 40 starts and more than $325,000 in prizemoney.
