Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Luke Nolen would never lay claim to being a horse whisperer but he’s fluent in I Wish I Win and he says the horse is telling him he’s on song for Saturday’s Group 1 $20m TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

Last year’s runner-up has had a smooth preparation into his attempt to climb the mountain and Nolen said all the signs that looks for to show him the gelding is humming have been there this spring.

The six-year-old, trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, did his final piece of work on Tuesday and Nolen said he couldn’t be more confident I Wish I Win was ready if he could actually open his mouth and talk.

Luke Nolen and I Wish I Win (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“He’s got a couple of traits at home that lets you know how well he’s going,’’ Nolen said.

“He becomes an aggressive worker when he’s on song and he’s been doing that. We know when he’s right.

“He’s been in our care for a while now and we’ve worked him out pretty well.”

A year ago Moody and Coleman gave I Wish I Win one lead up run into the Everest, in the 1400m Memsie Stakes, then freshened him to come back in distance.

It’s been a different build up this time around as he’d had what you’d call a more conventional preparation of a first-up fifth in the 1000m Moir Stakes before he ran into third in the 1200m Manikato Stakes.

Nolen said those two runs were as good as he could hope for and the three week gap is ideal.

“He’s run two belters around the Valley on a track that doesn’t suit him,’’ he said.

“Over the short trip, and the way he races, you need bias your way to get by them and he didn’t have that either time.

“With two good grounding runs under his belt it's going to stand him in good stead. He’s had a really good preparation going into it so we’re really happy.

“I feel as though the horse is going to show up in as good or better form than last year.”

After last year’s Everest, I Wish I Win had a three start autumn campaign which ended with his second Group 1 win in the Kingsford Smith Cup.

Once again I Wish I Win, $6 with TAB on Wednesday, runs in the Everest slot acquired by New Zealand based Trackside Media.

There’s a school of thought that barrier one brought the gelding, winner of the Golden Eagle in 2022, undone a year ago and Nolen subscribes to that to a degree.

However, that won’t change the fact he ran second. Barrier nine is one that Nolen is content with and given the prospect of some fire out of the track he’d just like a clear shot at them.

“He’s a better horse when he gets a bit of that free air,’’ he said.

“While he had a sound run into it last year the winner had a very good run.

“I just think if he’d have got that chance to see some air beforehand be might have grabbed the winner. But that’s ifs and buts.

“We just want to find an economical run. I want a fair track and the chance to travel in my space without being uncomfortable.”

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Everest Day at Royal Randwick