Another Wil has made his way to Victoria and is expected to kick off his latest campaign in the P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.
The seven-year-old arrived from Sydney last Saturday morning at trainer Ciaron Maher’s Ballarat stable where some work on Tuesday will determine whether Another Wil takes his place on Saturday.
Joining Another Wil on the trip from Sydney were Light Infantry Man and Warnie.
Light Infantry Man is entered for the P B Lawrence on Saturday along with the benchmark 100 handicap (1600m) while Warnie also holds a P B Lawrence entry and a nomination in the Regal Roller Stakes (1200m).
Kings Valley rounds out a quartet of entries for Saturday’s Group 2 1400m weight-for-age contest along with a nomination in the benchmark 90 handicap over 1400m.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, said the Sydney team was happy with Another Wil’s preparation for Saturday’s potential return.
Another Wil had three runs in Queensland and finished fourth in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup second-up at Eagle Farm before running last in the Stradbroke Handicap and on a very wet Eagle Farm before a break.
“We’ll probably give him a little bit of work on Tuesday, but he’s pretty much ready to go and then he can come to Cranbourne,” Turnbull said.
“He ran a really good race up in Queensland and because he had to go two weeks, two weeks, it probably just knocked the edge off him, and he was also on a very heavy track as well last time.
“He had six months off and then to come back and run the way he did, you know that he’s going to have improvement into this preparation.
“He spelled up there (Queensland), had some sun on his back, and we know he’s a very good horse at his best.”
A winner of nine of his 21 starts, including the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance, Another Wil had only two runs last spring prior to spending more than six months on the sidelines.
“He had a couple of small niggles, and it was like he lost confidence and he got really keen, and when he was keen, he was running his races upside down and wasn’t finishing off,” Turnbull said.
“He seems to have softened and relaxed a bit and at his best, and if he can get back to his best, he can mix it with the best milers.
“The beauty with a horse like him, there are so many options, and we may have to get a little bit crafty as to where we place him with his handicap mark.”
Kings Valley is on a path towards the Caulfield Cup, having won a ballot exemption in winning the Mornington Cup in April.
Turnbull said Kings Valley was still supporting his winter coat and was being aimed to peak on Caulfield Cup Day in October.
“He’s quite a keen horse fresh and we’re conscious of that, but he’s likely to have four runs into the Caulfield Cup,” Turnbull said.
“He’s got his winter jacket on him, coming from Ballarat, but he was late last season dropping his coat.
“He’s going OK and it will be when we get him to a mile and further is when we will see him.”
“Light Infantry Man and Warnie both came down with Another Wil and are entered in a couple of races, and we’ll work out what suits them best.”
Among the 18 nominations for Saturday’s Group 2 race are the Chris Waller trio Ohope Wins, Soul Of Spain and Wootton Verni along with Desert Lightning and Evaporate.
