Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Revelare extended his record to four wins from six starts at Sandown on Saturday, smashing the 1800-metre Lakeside track record on the quick back-up. The son of So You Think (NZ) had raced over a mile a week earlier, where he made a stunning late charge from the back of the field to win, overcoming a slow race shape. This time, he encountered a new challenge with both a higher grade and step up in distance.
Positioned off-midfield, Revelare watched as Independent Road (Declaration of War {USA}) and Nana’s Wish (Belardo {Ire}) set a strong pace. However, the dynamics of the race shifted dramatically at the final turn when Nana’s Wish made a mistake, forcing Et Tu Brute wide and creating significant gaps in the field.
At this moment, jockey Ryan Hurdle began to accelerate Revelare, who quickly moved into contention. Shiny New Deel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), who had conserved energy throughout the race, turned it into a fierce two-horse battle over the final furlong. However, ultimately it was Hickmott’s emerging talent who held firm, securing his third consecutive victory and breaking the track record by over 1.5 seconds in another impressive performance.
Adaptability the key
Hickmott has been rapt with his gelding’s adaptability at his past two starts.
“He’s very promising,” Hickmott said.
“All his wins have been a little bit different. He can handle strong tempos or slow tempos, which is a good trait for a young horse learning his trade. He has been able to rattle off some very strong late sectionals which you want to see with a young, promising stayer.
“The plan was to go forward on Saturday and get the one-one, but I thought Ryan really summed up the race quickly and could see there was going to be a fair bit of pace injected and he afforded him to take that little sit. Even when he found the fence he just dropped the bridle beautifully. Ryan Hurdle said he was a bit worried at the half-mile, he was that asleep he had to give him a bit of a shake-up. His response was excellent though, for a big horse he can get into his gears quickly. He nearly hit the front too soon, then.
“... he (Ryan Hurdle) was a bit worried at the half-mile, he (Revelare) was that asleep he had to give him a bit of a shake-up. His response was excellent though, for a big horse he can get into his gears quickly. He nearly hit the front too soon, then.” - Robert Hickmott
“He had a bit of problem before going into the start over a mile at Sandown two-back. He was supposed to go to Flemington a couple of weeks before for an 1800-metre race that Nishino Crescent won. He just had a bit of an indifferent blood, so we had to back off him. He only had one little gallop going into that Sandown mile. It was just lucky the way it was run, he needed the hit-out and it turned out just be a track gallop. He pulled up super so we backed him up.”
Hurdle, who has partnered the exciting staying prospect at his past four starts, indicated that despite the narrow winning margin, his mount still had plenty more to offer.
“He floated a bit late but Ryan (Hurdle) said he still had a bit up his sleeve had he really asked him to go,” Hickmott said.
Robert Hickmott | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“It’s nice when they are breaking track records and they still have a length and a half up their sleeve!
“He’s out of that Zabeel line mare and Ryan said one day, when you need them, the blinkers will really aid him.”
Just rewards for Ryan Hurdle
Hurdle has only ridden in 5 metro races this season but Hickmott shared that he had no plans to engage a more experienced city hoop any time soon.
“Ryan has done a great job on him, I think he’s ridden him well every time,” Hickmott said.
“He will stick with the horse until one day when he can’t make the weight. I think 56.5kg will probably pull him up. Until that time he’ll maintain the ride, that’s for sure.
Ryan Hurdle returns to scale aboard Revelare | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“It’s a great reward for Ryan. He jumps out and educates a lot of our horses in very good fashion. He’s riding them well so there’s no reason to take him off.”
A path towards the Melbourne Cup
Hickmott has a plan mapped out for Revelare which begins with a Benchmark 78 over 2000 metres at Flemington on February 15th. This may be followed by a step up to a 2400 metre handicap at Caulfield before culminating with a shot at free entry into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200 metes).
“You never know where he will get to this preparation,” Hickmott said.
“He’s got a beautiful trait to really drop his head and contain his energy early in a race and that will get him a long way in his career if he can continue to do that. Especially as we step him up in trip.
Revelare achieved a hattrick with his victory at Sandown on February 1, 2025 | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“If everything went to plan and he was still coping with everything well, the Roy Higgins Quality is on March 29 and it’s a free ticket into a Melbourne Cup. We’ll just see what happens but that could be a nice program for him.
“Only time will tell if he can measure up and run in a Melbourne Cup. We are talking about off-season racing, Spring is a different kettle of fish. But knowing the breed they can jump out of the ground and that’s what you are hanging your hat on.
“I definitely don’t think he is at the peak of his powers. Most Zabeel’s are 4-year-old, 5-year-old, 6-year-old before they get to their best. Gallic was seven and eight before he won the Adelaide and Sydney Cups.
“I definitely don’t think he (Revelare) is at the peak of his powers. Most Zabeel’s are 4-year-old, 5-year-old, 6-year-old before they get to their best.” - Robert Hickmott
“He’s had six starts now, so he hasn’t been overly taxed but at the same time he needs conditioning and he needs to be put up against better class horses and that’s going to be a good transgression over his next two or three runs. That exposure will toughen him up and hopefully in the Spring-time it will pay dividends.”
A unique case
Despite being closely involved with a number of Australia’s best stayers including Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Zipping (Danehill {USA}), Fawkner (Reset), Green Moon (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Hickmott says there really is no comparison physically to Revelare.
“This is a 560kg horse, he doesn’t look big but he is just a massive animal,” Hickmott said.
“He’s very athletic but he obviously has plenty of bone underneath him. Efficient had an electric turn of foot when he let go off good staying trips and Almandin was a little German-bred horse, he was just 470kg going into a Melbourne Cup but a proper stayer – his 2500-metre record and above was just phenomenal. Revelare a little bit unique in that sense. Obviously, So You Think is a pretty horse and he has a nice head on him. He has a Zabeel frame though and obviously if he gets a bit of that stamina I’d be very grateful.”
A bargain buy
Bred by Mrs C Bamford and KL Bamford, Hickmott bought Revelare at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Daisy Hill for just $130,000 and in just six starts the gelding has already earnt over $160,000 in prizemoney.
The 4-year-old is the third winner from Zabeel (NZ) mare Reveal The Goddess (NZ). She is a sister to New Zealand St. Leger runner-up Sheezababe (Zabeel {NZ}) who also produced G1 Vinery Stud Stakes placegetter Impecunious (Sacred Falls {NZ}). It’s a deep staying pedigree with his grand dam being Champion New Zealand Stayer Honor Babe (Honor Grades {USA}) who won the G1 Sydney Cup.
Hickmott says he was lured in by the pedigree and hooked by Revelare’s presence as a yearling.
Revelare as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“My best mate, Lincoln Curr, he’s a horse physio and he was working on Daisy Hill’s draft,” Hickmott said.
“Obviously, Lincoln worked for Lloyd Williams and he got me the job there. He said, you better come around have a look at this big raw yearling by So You Think out of a Zabeel mare and I had no hesitation after he said that to go down and see him. I really liked him, he was all Zabeel and still had a bit of So You Think in him. Having that association with so many Zabeels that Lloyd purchased over the years when we were with him, you just love the breed. He was a bit raw looking as a yearling but you knew he’d grow into a beautiful big horse. He’s an imposing animal now.
“I thought $130,000 was pretty good for a So You Think, but I think they are even cheaper now. I’m not sure this horse has come soon enough to put him right back in fashion for the upcoming sales but I’ll be looking at them that’s for sure.”
