Gregory Hickman of Warwick Farm has been given the job of prepping Future History for the Melbourne Cup.
In his first race for Hickman, Future History contests the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) as part of the roadmap to the country’s biggest staying prize this spring.
Having raced previously under Ciaron Maher, the gelding was 15th across the line in the 2023 Melbourne Cup as part of his opening preparation there.
Hickman detailed how part-owner Adam Carney gained primary ownership of Future History, resulting in the stayers’ transfer to his premises.
“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.”
His farewell for Maher was a fourth in Warwick Farm’s Australia Day Stakes on January 26, after landing three Listed races back-to-back.
Future History brings carried-over fitness into Saturday per Hickman, who has had him trialling twice for the return, but stressed they’re building knowledge of the horse.
Saturday’s result will influence the gelding’s immediate path forward.
“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.”
The ride on Saturday belongs to Nash Rawiller, who was on Future History for his latest two trials.
Head to the betting sites for Chairman’s Handicap options on Future History.