GREG HICKMAN WATCHED PRIVATE LEGACY’S CENTAUREA STAKES WIN FROM AFAR

A thrilling finish in the Centaurea! Private Legacy (centre) won by a nose from Mating Call with Brave Miss (inside) a whisker away third - courtesy Atkins Photography.

Those who had visions of Greg Hickman doing handstands at Morphettville after Saturday’s Centaurea Stakes, were wide of the mark. The popular Warwick Farm trainer actually watched the race 2000km away at Chevron Island on the Gold Coast and suffered in silence waiting for the numbers to go up after a desperately close finish. When Private Legacy’s number flashed onto the semaphore Greg allowed himself a reserved fist pump, but handstands were not an option. Let’s look at the race itself, and then an explanation about his trip to the Gold Coast.

The astute trainer started planning Private Legacy’s third trip to Adelaide some months ago. He’d never forgotten how the mare had thrived in the garden city when she made a “hit run” raid to run second in the Australasian Oaks two years ago. She returned twelve months later for a two race mission and was placed in the care of leading trainer Andrew Gluyas. She was out of a place but not far away in the Gr 2 Queen Of The South, before scoring a dominant win in the listed Centaurea Stakes courtesy of a rails hugging ride by Ben Melham. The mare absolutely blossomed during her few weeks in Adelaide and Hickman never forgot it.

Greg Hickman couldn't be in two places at once on Saturday. He watched the Centaurea Stakes at a Gold Coast pub - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The trainer’s plan for another Adelaide raid could easily have gone “belly up” in January when the mare crashed heavily at the 200m in the Magic Millions Subzero on the Gold Coast. “Jason Collett told me she was going to be right in the race when she clipped heels and went down in a flash,” said Greg. “I felt sick watching it. She had several runners behind her when she hit the ground, and it seemed certain both horse and rider were going to cop some feet. It was a miracle they both escaped unscathed. Jason was back at the races in two weeks and I had plenty of time to let Private Legacy get over it before resuming her Adelaide campaign.”

After some time in the paddock, Private Legacy had two quiet trials at Randwick in late March before being floated to Adelaide into the care of Andrew Gluyas. “I wanted to get her there early to run in a couple of lead up races,” said Greg. “Andrew does exactly what I ask him to do with the mare and looks after her like one of his own horses. After several years in partnership with Leon Macdonald he’s made a tremendous impression since going solo a couple of years ago. It’s very comforting for an interstate trainer to know his or her horse couldn’t be in a better place.”

Private Legacy was at long odds when she resumed in the 1500m City Of Adelaide Stakes on April 11th with Dom Tourneur on board. She finished well back but not all that far from the winner and worked home nicely. Two weeks later she lined up in the Gr 2 Queen Of The South with Sydney jockey Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle. Although placed officially 14th of 17 the mare was just 3.43 lengths from the winner Cilacap and running on strongly. “When Kerrin heard her next run would be over 2000m he predicted she’d be very hard to beat,” said Greg. “He was probably watching in the Gosford jockey’s room on Saturday and was entitled to give himself a pat on the back. Mind you he did ride two winners at Gosford including Athanatos in The Coast, so maybe Private Legacy was the furthest thing from his mind.”

When Hickman learned that Ben Melham had been booked for several rides at Morphettville on Saturday, he moved swiftly to lock him in for the Centaurea Stakes. He’d won the same race on the same mare exactly twelve months earlier and not surprisingly hadn’t been on her back since. It also wasn’t lost on the trainer that Melham had won a $1 million Magic Millions fillies and mares feature on Private Legacy’s dam Private Secretary in 2017. Ben’s effort in getting to Adelaide was amply rewarded with wins on Private Legacy and Fringes for Michael Hickmott in the SA Fillies Classic.

This was Ben Melham's first time on Private Legacy's back since the 2025 Centaurea Stakes - courtesy Atkins Photography.

Private Legacy bounded away smartly from a wide gate and Melham immediately let her slide forward. The Victorian jockey wasn’t too fazed when he found himself caught three wide on settling down because it was obvious the pace was going to be pedestrian. At the 1200m “roughie” Sharma Princess had an uncontested lead from Brave Miss on her outside with Brown Nose Day Gal box seating on the fence. Polymnia was parked one out one back on the inside of Private Legacy who relaxed beautifully. Bon Mistress was nicely placed on the fence with Mating Call three deep trailing Private Legacy. Melham allowed the Sydney mare to start striding into it from the 600m, and she looked to be travelling very generously at the top of the straight.

Sharma Princess dropped off quickly leaving Brave Miss and Private Legacy looking likely to fight it out on straightening but Mating Call staked her claim for a piece of the action. Inside the 200m the lead see-sawed between older mares Brave Miss and Private Legacy with three year old filly Mating Call trying valiantly to pick them up. Opinions were divided in a nail biting finish with Greg Hickman unsure as he watched from his bar stool at the Chevron Tavern many miles away. It was a source of great relief for the multiple Gr 1 winning trainer when Private Legacy nosed out Mating Call and Brave Miss. With Melham, Luke Currie and Daniel Stackhouse on the placegetters it must have seemed to the Victorians as though they were back home at Caulfield.

Ben Melham lifts Private Legacy over the line to win a second Centaurea Stakes on the same mare. Mating Call (outside) was second and Brave Miss third - courtesy Atkins Photography.

Greg was chuffed on a couple of counts. Any trainer will testify that there’s no more satisfying achievement in racing than to have a long term plan come off with flying colours. His plan to have Private Legacy back in Adelaide and cherry ripe for the Centaurea Stakes was actually hatched on the same day last year. That’s what you call a long range plan. There’s an even more pleasing aspect to the black type win. The mare is rising six and is now the veteran of 31 race starts which have yielded 3 wins, 5 placings and $481,025 - a pleasing return for a filly who cost $90,000 from the Arrowfield draft at the 2022 Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Private Legacy’s CV is further flattered by the fact that she’s a two time black type winner and a placegetter in the Gr 1 Australasian Oaks.

Greg has convinced her large ownership group that the daughter of The Autumn Sun has done her job admirably and now appeals as a fairly valuable commodity at a broodmare sale. In fact, Private Legacy has been catalogued as Lot 435 at the Gold Coast Broodmare Sale on May 27th. The story of her dam Private Secretary is even more romantic. Greg acquired the daughter of Husson at a Gold Coast Yearling Sale from a Baramul Stud draft for a bargain basement $40,000. Twenty two starts later her record stood at 8 wins and 8 placings for $1,043,060. Private Secretary won twice at Randwick, once at Warwick Farm and once on the Gold Coast where she bagged a $1 million fillies and mares feature. Add three Gr 3 placings and you can see why she made $325,000 at the 2017 Gold Coast Broodmare Sale.

Winona Costin wins a BM80 at Randwick on Private Legacy's dam Private Secretary 06/06/2015 defeating Idance (Brenton Avdulla) - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Now to find out why Greg Hickman was on the Gold Coast when the Centaurea Stakes was run at Morphettville. The trainer had accepted with recent stable acquisition Future History for the Hollindale Stakes and was there to watch the gelding’s final piece of work on Thursday morning. Although completely happy with the horse he couldn’t get the “Private Jenni factor” out of his mind. “Our horse is an on pace runner and I didn’t want to be in the situation where he had the job of carting the others up to that freakish mare,” said Greg.

“The Melbourne Cup is our ultimate goal in the spring. Future History hasn’t raced since January and I didn’t want to risk flattening him so early in his preparation. I scratched him on Thursday but decided to have a couple of days up there regardless. The horse is being looked after by Kelly Purdy who’s not only a very good trainer but a first class trackwork rider. She’ll keep the horse ticking over during the week and we’ll run him in the Gr 3 Chairman’s Hcp at Doomben on Saturday. Hopefully that will be the first stepping stone to Flemington in November.”

Adam Carney was the man to identify Future History on the Inglis Digital Sale in October 2023. Here's Adam holding the trophy aloft after Pierata's win in the 2019 All Aged Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Future History’s an interesting horse. After four wins in France he brought 140,000 guineas at the 2022 Tattersall’s Autumn Horses In Training Sale and was soon on his way to Australia. He debuted for Maher/Eustace in June 2023 and quickly struck form. He won third up over 2040m at Moonee Valley and followed with a second to Young Werther on the same track with Carleen Heffel in the saddle on both occasions. Several weeks later Craig Williams was the jockey when the import led throughout to win the Lexus Bart Cummings assuring himself of a start in the Melbourne Cup.

When a 10% share in Future History appeared in the catalogue for the October 2023 edition of the Inglis Digital Sale, Sydney owner Adam Carney responded swiftly. He saw this as a rare opportunity to share in the ownership of a Melbourne Cup runner. Many other keen observers obviously had similar views because bidding was brisk, and it took a bid of $205,000 to acquire the imported horse. Adam’s good friend Marc De Stoop joined him on the halves and the pair had to wait only a few days before enjoying the thrill of watching the gelding run a strong third to Cleveland and Vow And Declare in the Moonee Valley Cup.

Adam Carney’s lifetime dream materialised ten days later when Future History contested the Melbourne Cup with crack English lightweight jockey Hollie Doyle on board. The gelding turned for home with the leaders before weakening to finish 15th of 23 behind Without A Fight. He was spelled immediately and wasn’t seen at the races until the autumn of 2024.

Almost a year passed before Future History greeted the judge again, this time in the 2040m JRA Cup at Moonee Valley. The patience of owners was put to the test when another eleven runs over fourteen months failed to produce a win, but a number of black type placings helped to cover exes. Just before Xmas the old boy got a lease of life and reeled off a hat track of wins - the Rosehill Christmas Cup, the 2800m Flemington Bagot Hcp and the January Cup on a heavy track at Rosehill. He was spelled immediately and during that absence a change of stable was decided upon by the ownership group.

Future History (Nash Rawiller) wins the JRA Cup at Rosehill when trained by Ciaron Maher. The import joined the Hickman stable the following month - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Adam Carney sampled the professionalism of the Hickman stable as part owner of two high earning gallopers in Pierata and Eleven Eleven. The former raced with great consistency throughout a 26 start career which brought 9 wins, 9 placings and $5.8 million. Those wins included five at Group level highlighted by the 2019 Gr 1 All Aged Stakes. Eleven Eleven didn’t achieve the heights attained by Pierata but what a job he did! - 41 starts for 8 wins, 10 placings and $2.4 million. Two of his wins came in $1 million Magic Millions Cups.

Greg was pleasantly surprised in February when Adam called to suggest that a complete change of environment might suit a 600kg giant called Future History. “He’s a huge horse with no apparent soundness issues, although it pays to keep his sheer bulk in mind at all times,” says the Warwick Farm trainer. “Too much galloping could put a strain on those old joints. I was disappointed to have to scratch him on Saturday, but I wasn’t comfortable with having to chase Pride Of Jenni so early in this preparation. We’ll just play the waiting game and do our absolute best to get the big boy to Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.”