Talented sprinter Taunting will be out to continue a red hot start to the 2023-24 racing season for Murray Bridge horseman Michael Hickmott in Saturday’s $120,000 Listed Wylie Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville.
Hickmott has produced 11 winners from just 21 starters striking at a staggering 52.4 per cent across South Australia, those stats mirrored at metropolitan level with seven winners from just 15 starters.
“We’ve had a great start to the season,’’ Hickmott said.
Taunting has a more than handy first-up record, Hickmott still a little puzzled by his first-up failure last time in work which was the start of an indifferent campaign.
“He was bitterly disappointing first-up last time in and I’m still not sure why, but then won the Railway at Oakbank nicely,’’ Hickmott said.
“I made the error going to Warrnambool, I know he handles a heavy track but a heavy track at Warrnambool is a very different situation, and I probably shouldn’t have run him after that,’’ he said.
Despite that campaign, Hickmott said the horse has come back in good shape with Victorian hoop Mitchell Aitken booked to ride.
“I’m really happy with the horse,’’ Hickmott added.
“His jump out was good and his trial was solid. If anything he’s probably a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.
“We don’t have anything set out for him, he’s still a little bit of enigma this horse so we’ll just play the ball as it bounces,’’ he said.
Taunting sits on the second line of betting as a $5.50 chance with tab.com.au behind the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Hypothetical who is a $2.90 favourite.
