Trainer Wayne Hawkes is being realistic about Maluckyday’s chances this Saturday when he returns from a year-long spell.

The six-year-old was ruled out of last year’s spring racing carnival after suffering a bout of pneumonia following his only start in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Warwick Farm.

Maluckyday will return to racing in the Memsie Stakes, but trainer Wayne Hawkes does not expect a win. Photo by: Taron Clarke

Maluckyday is set to return in the Group 2 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield this weekend and Hawkes is not giving him any chance of winning the race.

“He won’t be winning on Saturday it’s as simple as that,” Hawkes said.

Rather than a vaictory, Hawkes will instead be looking for Maluckyday’s ability to hit the line strongly in the 1,400 metre race.

“He hasn’t had a run for twelve months and with all the problems he’s had … But if he could run ninth or tenth and be hitting the line well then that will be good enough for us,” he said.

“We know what he can do and we know how good is he is.

“He is a serious serious horse this bloke and it would be great to get him back.”

Maluckyday has had just 13 race starts during his injury-plagued career.

The Zabeel gelding has won five of his race runs and has earned more than $1.27 million in prize money.

Maluckyday is best known for his 2010 spring campaign, when he placed second in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup behind Americain.

Hawkes has nominated Maluckyday for this year’s Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.

However, the trainer understands that the horse’s spring campaign will have to be taken day by day.

“As I’ve said to (owner) Nick Moraitis the whole time through, we’ve just got to treat him like he’s never coming back and if he does then it’s going to be a big bonus,” Hawkes said.