The honest phone call between Chittick and Nolen regarding I Wish I Win ride

Waikato Stud boss Mark Chittick has implied that Luke Nolen is the front-runner to ride I Wish I Win this spring.

Nolen has ridden I Wish I Win in nine of his 11 Australian starts but lost the ride to James McDonald first-up last campaign in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) following injuries incurred from a trackwork fall.

Nolen was also snubbed in the Doomben 10,000 with Chittick and trainer Peter Moody preferring the services of McDonald.

With McDonald unavailable for the ride in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup due to overseas commitments, Nolen retained the ride and took full advantage with a brilliant steer to win at Eagle Farm in early June.

However, prior to booking McDonald in the TJ, Chittick via Moody had to break the news to Nolen that his services weren’t required in the Group 1 sprint over 1200m.

Nolen was left outraged with the decision so much so that his wife Alicia took to social media saying that her husband was “completely shattered” and blindsided after doing all the work on the star sprinter.

Chittick, who made the call, has later revealed that he wasn’t appreciative of the comments coming out of the Nolen camp and that reared its head last week in an honest conversation between the two veterans over the phone.

“Luke and I had a good old yarn the other day and I let him know that I wasn’t too happy about the comments when he didn’t get the ride in the TJ Smith and certainly after in the Kingsford Smith Cup,” Chittick told SENTrack.

“I said to him that if it’s going to be us as a team going forward this year let's get on the positive front foot and make the most of it and be a team together.”

Nolen, who rode I Wish I Win to victory at the Pakenham trials on Tuesday morning, rang Chittick last week to express his interest in riding the six-year-old gelding this spring as connections are yet to decide on a booking.

Chittick said he appreciated Nolen reaching out and getting on the front foot but conceded that a decision hasn’t been made on whether it’s going to be Nolen or McDonald in the saddle when he’s expected to run first-up in the Moir Stakes on September 7.

“Full credit to Luke, he got on the front foot, he gave me a ring last week and said that he wants to throw his hat back in the ring and clear the air a little bit and I said, ‘yep, let's clear the air first’, which we did,” Chittick added.

“To be honest most of the conversation was about in the running, being drawn the inside or the outside and all reports are from Peter Moody as of even yesterday that the horse is fit and well and that they hadn’t seen Luke in such fit healthy form either.

“Nothing is confirmed at this stage either but he was on the horse yesterday and probably will be going forward.”