Willydoit, fresh off his New Zealand Derby triumph, will strive for entry into the Australian Cup during his Flemington engagement.
Stablemates Willydoit and Holymanz from the Ciaron Maher yard take on the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) come Saturday, both vying to improve their chances at greater autumn rewards.
Now on his second preparation with trainer Ciaron Maher, the gelding Willydoit awaits the form resurgence that clinched the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie last March.
Jack Turnbull, Ciaron Maher’s national assistant trainer, explained the lessons absorbed regarding the four-year-old post his Sydney spring foray.
Resuming at Caulfield on February 7, Willydoit could only surpass one other in the MRC Foundation Cup (1600m), with blinkers reinstated following his ‘little plain’ first-up effort.
“When the race was run the way it was, it was brutally run, and with a horse like Light Infantry Man winning it, sitting second, it says a lot about the race shape,” Turnbull said.
“For him, who was back, no headgear, floating along, he just never got involved.
“His splits late were positive enough, but he should have done something because he did nothing for the first three-quarters.
“He’s had a couple of good gallops, he gets on the bigger track, the mile again, headgear on, there’s a lot more going his way this week.”
Willydoit stood out as a leading staying three-year-old with a fourth in last autumn’s Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick, yet the team pursued premium spring races for him at four.
This involved ninth in The Golden Eagle succeeding a seventh place from the Alan Brown Stakes.
“He was a dominant staying three-year-old, but he’s not slow, so coming to Sydney last campaign, with the weights, we were willing to try him in the big features which didn’t work,” Turnbull said.
“A prep on, we know a bit more about him and I think 2000 (metres) will be his go.
“The Australian Cup is on the plan, but if he was not to fire at that class and weight scale, then there are races like the Mornington Cup, but we’ll just see, but his main early aim, after this run, is the Australian Cup.”
An ‘old marvel’ in Turnbull’s eyes, Holymanz freshened up before grabbing third last time in the MRC Foundation Cup.
“We could have gone to the All-Star Mile (next Saturday), but we’ve decided on the softer option to get him to be winning again,” Turnbull said.
“It’s not a race that’s out of his reach and if he can run up to his last run, he’ll be right up there again.”
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