Hopes Higher Realm follows Tyzone’s lead
STAR two-year-old headed towards the Northern Classic QTIS 2YO Plate, wearing orange silks, trained by Roy Chillemi and ridden by Stephen Wilson – that is a familiar story.
Reigning Stradbroke winner Tyzone followed that exact path in 2016, before becoming the boom horse of Queensland over the last two seasons.
Just a few years later, the promising Higher Realm aims to do the same this afternoon.
Higher Realm is two wins and two seconds from four career starts, not dissimilar to Tyzone’s early career record.
Tolga’s Wilson, who has ridden Higher Realm, by Wandjina from Upper Notch, in all four races is not getting carried away that the newcomer may become the next Tyzone.
But, he is confident he has a quality horse for the $35,000 feature this afternoon and wants to be sticking with the youngster going forward.
“He is going to be a really good three-year-old, what he is doing now is just on ability, he is a big lump of a horse that has a lot of maturing to do,” Wilson said. “Hopefully we can get this one out of the way as it would be nice to win another feature race like this.
“Hopefully we can be just behind the speed on Thursday, he has a great finish on him and should be running over the top of them at the 1200m.
“What he is doing now, he is only going to improve on more education, he has a lot of ability and he will improve a hell of lot going forward.”
Sky presenter Michael Charge said the Roy Chillemitrained youngster had some “Tyzone” about him before his second ever race start.
Higher Realm will wear the famous colours of Cairns Jockey Club boss Tom Hedley but the big-time NQ owner is not the only local racing figure in the connections.
Cairns bookmaker Chris Jorgensen also has a slice of Higher Realm, and stablemate Tennessee Boy, who will also go around in North Queensland’s richest two-year-old race “Higher Realm and Tennessee Boy were in the same magic millions auction March last year, I had made contact with Tom who was at the auction and requested if he purchased lot 113 which turned out to Tennessee Boy, I would be very keen in buying shares in him, which I did,” Jorgensen recalled.
“Roy Chillemi had a huge opinion on lot 133, I had a quick look over the lot information and then spoke with Tom, he was good enough to sell shares in him, that turned out to be Higher Realm.”
Chillemi recently said Higher Realm is still green and will be a good horse once time goes on.
A massive 10-event program is set for Townsville’s Cluden Park this afternoon with a stack of FNQ horses engaged.