Wack’em still packs a punch after fight for life

WACK’EM still has the scar tissue from a near-death experience and will look to add to his stunning comeback by winning on the Gold Coast today.

The four-year-old gelding will run in the Colts, Geldings and Entires Class 2 Handicap (1400m) as jockey apprentice Corey Bayliss looks to add a second win to a preparation that has also included two second-place finishes.

It is the next chapter in an incredible fightback by Wack'em who was considered to be a winter carnival hope by trainer John Morrisey in 2015.

But Wack'em was on the edge of death after getting sick following a second placing at Doomben in August that year.

“He got travel sickness and ended up with an abscess in his lung,” said Morrisey’s son Scott, who now trains Wack'em.

“He nearly died. He was pretty sick.”

Wack'em has had 10 starts since the incident, securing four places and two wins.

Morrisey said experts told him Wack'em would never be the same on the racetrack but he never thought about retiring him.

He said the illness had hindered Wack'em but the horse was still competitive and could win a city race.

“Some of the leading vets said we would be able to get him back to racing but whether he was competitive or not only time would tell,” Morrisey said.

“To his credit he has come back and raced well every start.

“We always had a soft spot for him so we wanted to try him again.

“He has got a lot of scar tissue in one lung so that doesn’t help matters at all.

“So for him to come back and be competitive it’s a big credit to the horse.”