Twelve months ago trainer Leon Morton left Eagle Farm on Stradbroke day with two winners to his name and a dream that he had uncovered a horse who would measure up as a worthy runner in the $1 million Group One event this year.The horse was renowned wet-tracker Mr Slick and at the time he'd just ploughed through the fetlock-deep mud to post a tough win in a restricted class race.While the opposition was modest, Morton, the man who cut his teeth in far north Queensland and is renowned for his Aku

Twelve months ago trainer Leon Morton left Eagle Farm on Stradbroke day with two winners to his name and a dream that he had uncovered a horse who would measure up as a worthy runner in the $1 million Group One event this year.

The horse was renowned wet-tracker Mr Slick and at the time he'd just ploughed through the fetlock-deep mud to post a tough win in a restricted class race.

While the opposition was modest, Morton, the man who cut his teeth in far north Queensland and is renowned for his Akubra hats, was adamant Mr Slick was the best horse he'd ever had.

Wind the clock forward to 2009 and Morton's dream for Mr Slick is a reality - wet track and all.

"From the day I got him he showed me plenty. He had a lot of ability and I knew early that he was a very smart horse," Morton said.

"It's a long way from a restricted race to a Stradbroke but I set him for this race on Saturday way back then and have been planning for it ever since.

"It's a tough race and they are smart horses but he'll meet them much better at the weights than he did at weight-for-age last start."

Mr Slick drew a touch worse than midfield in barrier 12 for Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) and will carry 52.5kg, a kilo less than he did on the same day last year.

He is rated a $51 chance but Morton has urged punters to overlook the horse's previous run when he finished last to Apache Cat in the Doomben 10,000.

"He carried 59kg and was on level weights with Apache Cat at Doomben and he drops six and a half kilos on that," Morton said.

"He copped a bump in the 10,000 before the corner and his legs went from underneath him, that's what happened there.

"He put his back out and we had the chiropractor on him but he's perfect now and I'm happy with where he's at."

Former Adelaide jockey Joe Bowditch has ridden Mr Slick twice previously for a win at Doomben four starts back and the lightweight hoop will be reunited with the Shinko King gelding on Saturday.