Nunn hopes Hype is a winter wonder.

The old timers say that many horses find their best form at the same time each year.

Remember Think Big, he probably would not have won at Manangatang for most of the season, but at the start of the third month of spring, he won, not one, but two Melbourne Cups.

Tasmanian trainer Aiden Nunn is banking on the old-time theory being right. Nunn has been a regular visitor to South-east Queensland for the winter polo circuit over the last few years and brings with him a small team of thoroughbreds for the Queensland Racing Carnival each year.

Reigning Rockhampton Cup winner, Hype, seems to find his mojo during winter, and Nunn reckons he is back on track to defend his crown in the $150,000 TAB Rockhampton Cup (1600m) on Saturday.

Hype, ridden by South Australian Teagan Voorham, denied local hero Master Of Jamie his third straight Rockhampton Cup with a dominant win in the 2024 feature.

You see it time and time again in racing: good horses know when it’s time to win, so it will be interesting when the rising eight-year-old attempts to go back-to-back.

Doing all of his early racing in Ireland before he was bought by Lloyd Williams and sent to be originally trained by Robert Hickmott in Victoria, and then Kris Lees, Hype has been a real project horse for national polo player Nunn, who purchased the gelding for $38,000 at an online auction.

Nunn, who has been training thoroughbreds for about 15 years, rates Hype’s 2024 Rockhampton Cup win up with his best.

“Prize money-wise, it’s the biggest win of my career and it’s probably a bit better than the Devonport Cup that I won with Brilliant Jet a few years ago,” he said.

Hype has had five race starts since he scored a last-to-first victory in the Rocky Cup last July, before backing up with a dominant win in the Mackay Cup (200m) a month later.

Those runs have been at Devonport, Launceston, and Doombe,n and he is yet to get back on the board.

But Nunn isn’t concerned.

“His two Doomben runs have been good, but punters probably haven’t noticed him,” Nunn said. “At his first Doomben run back in Saturday grade, from an outside gate, he got back to last, and his closing sectionals were very good. “He backed that up with another even effort.”

Nunn hasn’t changed his strategy for this year, basing himself and his horses at Beaudesert. The only interruption was a setback at the end of last year.

“He got a horrible virus over summer, and it took a little longer to get him right this time,” Nunn said. “We’ve also given him three official barrier trials this year, winning twice, one at Longford and one at Beaudesert, and he finished second in the other at Beaudesert just a few days ago.

Nunn is yet to book a jockey; he has reached out to Prior Management to request Nash Rawiller, but the jockey won’t be making his decision on rides until the weights come out.

Last year’s winning rider, Voorham, won’t be making the trip north this time.

Twenty-two horses have been nominated for Saturday’s Cup, including seven locals plus several handy southerners that include last start Rocky Tatt’s Cup winner Skyforger, along with Caboche, Harbourmaster, Bettcha The Crown, Archer’s Game, Kipling’s Journey, Without Revenge, Under The Cup, and stablemates Cosmic Beauty and The Catch.

Can Hype do a “Think Big” in Rocky in 2025? Nunn is quietly confident he can.

“He loves getting up north, and the big, long straight in Rocky is made for his style of racing,” the trainer said.

“We’ll arrive on Friday and be all systems go on Saturday.”

• David Aldred CEO