Gary Nickson admits his stable has been pretty quiet for the last decade but the arrival of Theophorus has changed all of that.And with the grey running in the Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, the Warwick Farm trainer is on the verge of winning his first black-type race since 1984.Theophorus has won seven of his 10 starts including his last three.He landed consecutive Rosehill victories with his slashing length triumph over Saturday's distance on November 15 when he stormed home
Gary Nickson admits his stable has been pretty quiet for the last decade but the arrival of Theophorus has changed all of that.
And with the grey running in the Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, the Warwick Farm trainer is on the verge of winning his first black-type race since 1984.
Theophorus has won seven of his 10 starts including his last three.
He landed consecutive Rosehill victories with his slashing length triumph over Saturday's distance on November 15 when he stormed home to score.
Nickson, who has been training for more than 30 years, said his only black-type winner was Tandrio who won the Group Three Tramway Handicap in 1984.
"Tandrio was a big grey horse and so is this bloke and I've got to say that Theophorus is the best one I've had in quite a while," Nickson said.
Nickson was based at Canterbury before it was closed as a training centre in the 1990s.
"I had big team of horses back then and one year trained 55 winners but since I moved to Warwick Farm 10 or so years ago things have been pretty quiet for our stable," Nickson said.
"We pre-train a lot of horses including one of our rivals on Saturday, Causeyacan, and do enough to keep my staff in work.
"My nephew and son work for me and all of our team comes to the races and cheers this horse on, he means a lot to us and has the stable pretty excited."
Theophorus was originally trained at Mudgee by Tracey Bartley before being sold at a tried horses sale for $9,000 and making his way to Nickson.
The gelding was unplaced in his first start for Nickson in March before going on to win six of his next seven starts.
"He just keeps taking that step for us and there is no reason he can't do it again on Saturday," Nickson said.
"His work this week has been as good as I've ever seen from him."
Theophorus has drawn barrier nine on Saturday and will be ridden by Mark Lister.
The hoop missed the last-start winning ride because of suspension but has notched up four wins on Theophorus.
"Mark rode the horse in his work this week and is very happy to be back on and we're happy to have him," Nickson said.
Nickson said Theophorus could press on to the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 20 with the right performance on Saturday.
"It's certainly an option for him and if he keeps stepping up like he has been doing then you'll see him in the Villiers," Nickson said.
"We still don't know how good this horse is, he's only just starting to hit his straps."