Robert Hickmott

Robert Hickmott
Personal information
Full name Robert Hickmott
Date of birth (1969-01-28) 28 January 1969 (age 55)
Original team(s) Tarrawingee, Wangaratta Rovers
Height 186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 81 kg (179 lb)
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
1990–1991 Melbourne 2 (0)
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Robert Hickmott (born 28 January 1969) is an Australian racehorse trainer and former Australian rules footballer, who played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). In 2012, he became the first former footballer to train a Melbourne Cup-winning horse.

Football

From Wangaratta, Victoria, Hickmott originally played for Tarrawingee in the Ovens & King Football League and the Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens & Murray Football League (O&M).

He was recruited by the Essendon Football Club after starring in the Wangaratta Rovers 1988 O&M grand final win. He spent 1989 playing in Essendon's reserve side and entered the 1990 AFL Pre-season Draft where he was selected by Melbourne with the 45th pick overall.[1]

Hickmott played two games for the club in the 1990 season, debuting against St Kilda in round 13 and playing again the following week, against North Melbourne.[2] He played with Melbourne Football Club in their 1990 AFL Reserves grand final loss to Carlton Football Club.

Although remaining on the club's list in 1991, he did not play another senior game for the club.[3]

Hickmott returned to play in Wangaratta Rovers' 1991 premiership side and then later played for Wodonga and Myrtleford in the mid-1990s.

Horse racing

After quitting football, Hickmott moved to Murray Bridge, South Australia, joining his father, John Hickmott, in training horses. From there, he returned to Victoria to work under Colin Little, and later worked with Tony Vasil and Alan Bailey.

In 2001, racehorse owner Lloyd Williams offered him a position at his stables, which he accepted. Hickmott was heavily involved in the training of 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient, although the horse was officially trained by Graeme Rogerson.[4]

He was appointed head trainer at Williams' Macedon Lodge stables (near Mount Macedon) in 2009,[5] and subsequently trained his first Group 1 winner, Zipping, who won the Australian Cup in 2010.[6]

Green Moon, the winner of the 2012 Melbourne Cup, was trained by Hickmott,[7] and also won the Turnbull Stakes in 2012.[8] Another horse trained by Hickmott, Almandin, won the 2016 Melbourne Cup, giving Hickmott his second win as a trainer.

See also

References

  1. ^ 1989–90 Drafts – AFL Drafts. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  2. ^ Robert Hickmott playing statistics – AFLTables. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  3. ^ Robert Hickmott profile – DemonWiki. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  4. ^ Lynch, Jared (2011). Robert Hickmott: the Cup's mystery man – The Age. Published 1 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  5. ^ Melbourne Cup 2012: Green Moon gives understated trainer Hickmott first Cup – The Roar. Published 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  6. ^ Imports dominate Australian Cup entries – Racing And Sports. Published 25 January 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  7. ^ Rintoul, Stuart (2012). Green Moon stuns stellar Melbourne Cup field – The Australian. Published 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  8. ^ Robert Hickmott trainer profile – Racing Victoria. Updated 15 October 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.