Jamie Melham has been keen to reunite with I Wish I Win ever since they first teamed up and what she has felt at the Pakenham jumpouts in recent weeks has only heightened her excitement around a possible reunion.
Melham has partnered the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained gelding to two jumpout wins, the latest on Tuesday morning, as he prepares to return to the track.
I Wish I Win’s first Australian win, a four-length romp at Caulfield in August 2022, came the rider then known as Jamie Kah but she has not been able to get aboard since.
With regular rider Luke Nolen still sidelined due to injury, a new rider is likely to be needed for his first-up run, which will most likely be in the $750,000 Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22, and Melham was one of the first to put up her hand.
“I’m definitely not going to knock him back,” Melham said.
“Compared to when I rode him at Caulfield, when I didn’t think he was going to do what he has, he’s really stepped up and turn into an absolute superstar.
“All systems seem positive with him.”
I Wish I Win went on to win the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) in 2022, won the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) and finished second in The Everest the following year before last year landing the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) in Brisbane, all with Nolen aboard.
In Tuesday’s trial I Wish I Win jumped well and settled a length off leader Ostraka before moving alongside that galloper early in the straight and cruising alongside for around 400m before edging clear late to win by about a head.
