South Australian-based trainer Michael Hickmottt celebrated a fourth win in Monday’s $220,000 Darwin Cup (2050m), though not with the horse many thought as Watadeel raced away with the region feature.

$18 shot Watadeel stormed to a near two-length victory over Rematch ($7.50) and Hadouken ($19), while Hickmott’s better-favoured pair of Stormageddon ($4.60f) and Jimi Hendrix ($13) finished seventh and ninth.

Hickmott had previously won the cup as a fresh-faced teenager in 2007 with General Market before rejuvenating Activation to salute in 2009 and later Canny Ballad in 2016.

“Activation was big for me. I had to put him to rest a couple of weeks ago, 26 I think he was,” Hickmott said.

“But to have my daughter and family here, 20 years after Dad first brought me up here, it’s going to take a lot to top that. It would have to be a Group 1, for sure.”

Clutching his daughter, Ella, in post-race talks, Hickmott said that Nathan Bennett and his racing group had almost abandoned plans for the cup after two unplaced lead-up runs over 1300m and 1600m.

“I said all week this horse was forgotten about,” he said.

“Nathan said after his last run, ‘don’t worry about running in the cup but I said ‘no, no, we’ve got him right’. I knew we had to treat him and get him right.

“Honestly, it means the world to have my family (here), but especially this little girl.”

Hickmott engaged Victorian hoop Zac Spain for the ride on the gelding, buoyed by a previous glory.

“Zac, his first ride for me, he won the Alice Springs Cup on Lieder. Zac was this big (a child) when I first came. He’s a good lad,” Hickmott said.

“I came up here when I was 17 and got a job at L J Hooker.

“These are the people that gave me my start. This place is what got me going and I’ll never forget that.

“The people and the environment and the atmosphere was what kickstarted my career and my entire life. I’ll be forever grateful.”

Spain, who moved from Western Australian to Darwin aged two before becoming a highly regarded Melbourne hoop, said it was a career highlight.

“To me, it’s bigger than winning a Group 1,” he said.

“At home and getting a ride for Michael. Obviously, I won the Alice Springs Cup for him, and to do it in front of the family and for Michael, there’s no other feeling like it and I think the salute showed that.”

It was a full circle moment for Watadeel and Spain, who rode the galloper when trained by Phillip Stokes to his maiden win at Geelong four years earlier.

“He began so well and as Michael said (pre-race), the key was the first 50 to 100 metres,” Spain said.

“The blinkers, he was a different horse. He was able to travel and switched off good in the middle stages.

“Coming to the 500m, I just needed an out and I had a lovely, economical, smooth run.

“When I asked for him, he let down and won with ease.”