THE FORECAST: The Equine Ferrari

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would have to be my favourite movie of all time.

It’s absolute genius. The Abe Froman, Sausage King of Chicago scene would have to be top three movie scenes of all time. I reckon I’ve watched the flick at least 100 times, it should be on school curriculum.

I was thinking about the movie this week when the fields came out for the Doomben 10,000. Sitting there at the top of the weights is I WISH I WIN, an absolute weapon of a horse possessing arguably the best turn of foot in Australian racing; a one-of-a-kind equine machine, he might as well have a Ferrari badge on him.

Sadly though, I Wish I Win is a bit too much like the 1961 Ferrari GT California Spyder in FBDO; a beautiful machine, a car that should be seen ripping down a highway in all its glory, instead, it rarely left its garage.

Is anyone else going slowly insane waiting to see I Wish I Win at the races? Since the spring of 2022 he’s been seen in public only slightly more often than the Aurora Australis, but each time he’s been just as dazzling. For a horse with as much ability as he has, the odometer hasn’t seen much work.

Saturday’s Doomben 10,000 gives us the chance for a rare sighting, this time with a new driver at the wheel. Luke Nolen has been bumped for James McDonald, a tough decision made by majority owner Mark Chittick.

As much as I feel for Trumby Nolen who has only ever looked after the horse, part of me wants to see J-Mac open the throttle just like the garage attendant in Bueller’s Day Off.

At Flemington, the stayers do battle for a ticket into the Melbourne Cup. Can any of these actually win the Cup? I doubt it, but no one would begrudge Richard Cully if he managed to snag a spot with Excelleration, or if The Map could take South Aussies Dan Clarken and Oopie McGillvray on the trip of a lifetime.

Stories like that are what the Cup is built on.

BEST: Belmont R5 No. 2 GENEROSITY

BEST EACH-WAY: Flemington R4 No. 8 FLYING FIZZ

BEST ROUGHIE: R9 No. 16 CHICA MOJITO