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Hickman has Eleven back on track for summer goal

3 minute read

Trainer Greg Hickman feared the worst when Tommy Berry bailed out from Eleven Eleven in the closing stages of The Hunter but is happy to report his top sprinter is ready to get his summer campaign back on track at Randwick on Saturday.

ELEVEN ELEVEN.
ELEVEN ELEVEN. Picture: Steve Hart

As it turned out the scare wasn't due to cardiac arrhythmia, the thumps or any other internal issue but simply heat stress.

So the six-year-old, who is closing in on $3 million in prizemoney, continues his path to a fourth Magic Millions carnival in the Listed $160,000 Racing & Sports Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m).

"He's come out of it fine, he trialled well the other day and his work was good on Tuesday so he should go to the races very well,'' Greg Hickman said.

"The vets thought it was some sort of heat stress, there were a few on the day that had it. From when he came home to when he trialled I saw no abnormality at all."

Eleven Eleven, $9.50 with TAB on Thursday, suggested he was in for a handy summer with his first-up fifth in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes.

Hickman hopes the campaign hasn't been impacted by the incident in The Hunter but that will become clearer after the Razor Sharp, a race he contested third-up last year before going on to win the Magic Millions Cup a month later.

He showed his readiness with that trial win at Canterbury on November 29 where he downed Ingham hopefuls Huetor and Diamil over 1100m.

"I was happy enough with him. Sometimes he does too well and just takes a while to come to hand,'' he said.

"In the back of my mind it's always been about the Magic Millions and trying to get that fourth win and anything else that happens is a bonus.

"I just want to see him run very well because Randwick hasn't been very kind to him."

When Hickman says Randwick hasn't been kind to Eleven Eleven he's referring to the statistic that shows he's yet to be placed in six starts at headquarters.

They've included a fifth in the Group 2 Arrowfield Stakes and a sixth in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes with his best result a one length fourth in the Choisir in November last year.

"I'm predicting he'll run well but when you see that, six for nought, it's hard to ignore,'' he said.

"You'd never give barrier one away but it doesn't really matter. He'll just be wherever he lands, if he can be midfield and hitting the line that would be pretty much perfect."

Stayer Rondino has likely his final start for the campaign in the Listed $160,000 Max Brenner Christmas Cup (2400m) before connections go dreaming of much bigger things in 2023.

The gelding, $5,50 with TAB, won over the staying trip back in September then surprised a few dropping to 1850m to score at Newcastle on The Hunter program.

His last start fifth in the ATC Cup (2000m) has Hickman predicting Rondino will be very competitive.

"He's jumping out of the ground, he's improved in leaps and bounds and got stronger,'' he said.

"This is the race I wanted to try and win. He was just unlucky last start, things didn't go our way but the horse went super.

"He likes 2400m and it's a similar sort of field again."


Racing and Sports

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