Warwick Farm trainer Gregory Hickman has been entrusted with preparing Future History for a start in the Melbourne Cup.
Future History will have his first start for the Hickman stable in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) as he builds for Australia’s most famous race later in the year.
A former member of the Ciaron Maher stable, Future History ran 15th in the 2023 Melbourne Cup in his first preparation for Maher.
Hickman explained part-owner Adam Carney purchased a controlling interest in Future History resulting in the stayer moving stables.
“Adam Carney bought a major share of it and Adam and I are friends, so Adam transferred the horse from Ciaron to me,” Hickman said.
“Adam originally bought into the horse because Ciaron put it up that way (the Melbourne Cup) and they had a lot of fun with it.
“He decided to buy one of the other boys out which made him the major shareholder and moved him to me.”
Future History had his final start for Maher finishing fourth in the Australia Day Stakes at Warwick Farm on January 26 which followed three successive wins, all at Listed level.
Hickman said Future History had retained residual fitness and had had two trials to prepare for Saturday’s return but acknowledged he was still learning about the horse.
Saturday’s performance will determine the immediate future of the gelding.
“I think he’s going as well as we can to run first-up, but we’re still learning about the horse,” Hickman said.
“He’s travelled up there well. I think he’s that sort of horse, he’s so relaxed and nothing seems to bother him.
“He’s still got plenty of residual fitness. He only had a short time off. He’s had two trials because he’s a good doing horse and our main goal is the Melbourne Cup, so there’s a long way to go.
“We’ll see what he does on Saturday as to whether he goes around in the Doomben Cup or we wait for something else and then finish up in the Tattersall’s Cup over 2400 (metres).
“We’ve roughly mapped out where we’ve got to go to get into the Melbourne Cup, so he’ll do most of his lead up races to the Cup in Melbourne.”
Nash Rawiller who has ridden Future History in his two trials has the ride on Saturday.
