Brisbane opener launches Future History's Melbourne Cup bid

Gregory Hickman, trainer at Warwick Farm, is now tasked with conditioning Future History ahead of a tilt at the Melbourne Cup.

Future History's debut for the Hickman operation comes in the Group 3 Chairman's Handicap (2000m), serving as a stepping stone to the iconic Australian staying feature later on.

The horse, once part of Ciaron Maher's string, ended up 15th in the 2023 Melbourne Cup in his initial spell with Maher.

According to Hickman, part-owner Adam Carney secured a controlling ownership in Future History, leading to the endurance runner's relocation to his yard.

"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."

For Maher, Future History's concluding effort was a fourth placing in the Australia Day Stakes held at Warwick Farm on January 26, preceded by three straight Listed triumphs.

The trainer indicated the gelding maintains solid base fitness and has undergone two jump-outs in readiness for Saturday's resumption, conceding they're in the process of understanding him better.

How the gelding performs on Saturday will dictate his short-term program.

"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."

Saturday's ride goes to Nash Rawiller, having been aboard for Future History's pair of trials.

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