Premiership aside, 2021 will be remembered as a pivotal season in the career of Murray Bridge trainer Michael Hickmott.
A double on his home track on Saturday saw Hickmott claim a four-win lead over Phillip Stokes and the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stables in the Adelaide Trainer’s Premiership with four city meetings remaining, but the young trainer has his sights on an a much bigger picture.
“I don’t expect to win the premiership,’’ Hickmott said.
“I’ve got no doubt that both Phillip and Tony will have more numbers than me heading late into the season.
“While I doubt they’ll be bringing horses back from Victoria just to win a Adelaide Premiership, they’ve both got bigger fish to fry, but based on a sheer weight of numbers they’ll get me late in the season,’’ he said.
Exciting sprinter Pindaric was able to maintain his unbeaten record first-up from a spell before Munster finished the day in style with a gritty win in the last.
“Pindaric will have one more run in, either the Mildura Cup or go to a race at Morphettville on the 24th,’’ Hickmott said.
“At this stage my instinct is he will stay here, he’s heading in the right direct there is no worries about that.
“He was not entitled to win on Saturday given he was first-up and sat very deep the entire trip. I just want to get him into a better class of race when he can get cover, he’s very explosive when he lets down and gets lost in front
“The plan is one more run, if he came out and bolted in next start we could look at a race like the Aurie’s Star, but my plan is to look after him and head towards a restricted race at Flemington during Cup week,’’ he said.
And Munster ended a string of second placings to get the job done with a big weight.
“He did it tough carrying 61kg,’’ Hickmott said.
“I’ve always been critical of the horse, he’s enjoying getting his toe in the ground and I’ll look to use a 3kg claim on him at his next run, I think he’s probably got one more left in him,’’ he said.
Hickmott said whatever happens for the remainder of the season, 2021 has been a success both on and off the track.
“I’m delighted with the work that has gone in from everyone in the team,’’ Hickmott said.
“From the staff here at the stables, my riders and more importantly my clients that have supported me.
“They’ve understood we’ve made a big commitment buying the property. We are investing a stack of money out there, have a heap of development happening out there currently and even more to come in the next couple of years.
“Everything bodes well going forward,’’ he said.
And he’s bracing for a quiet start to the new season with a host of fresh faces entering the stables.
“The way we’ve structured the stable we’ll have a quiet time early in the spring,’’ Hickmott said.
“We’ve got a lot of young horses coming through, I counted the other day, we’ve got 16 two-year-old’s and new season three-year-olds coming back into work and that’s no different to most stables.
“And we’ve still got a lot of interest from New Zealand. I’ve got a really exciting two-year-old arriving on Wednesday who ran third to a Group 1 winner last start who I’m looking forward to stepping out.
“We’re welcoming new owners to the stable and pressing forward with as much force as I can.
“I’m 32, and have got a new property and a new baby, we’ve got to keep working.
“But with the current shape of things in South Australia, Racing SA pressing things ahead so strongly, and the support I’m getting from Murray Bridge Racing Club I’m very excited about the way things are heading forward,’’ he said.
