Wil’s G1 Toorak Handicap bid on track after Another win
It was anything but straight-forward, but Another Wil tightened his grip on next month’s Toorak Handicap with an eventful win in Saturday’s Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield.
Those who took the $1.55 about the untapped miler held their breath when he was the victim of interference from Run Harry Run around 250m out in the 1400-metre Listed event.
Trainer Ciaron Maher conceded it was a tough race to watch in the straight, but said Another Wil’s ability to win by 1-1/2 lengths was a mark of his class.
“He’s a big horse, big stride, so it does take him a little while to regain balance,” Maher said.
“But he’s won with a bit in hand. He’s very progressive.”
Another Wil, a five-year-old son of Street Boss, tightened into $2.30 with betting agencies for the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on October 12 after the win.
He defeated Symon Wilde-trained mare Wishlor Lass ($13) with Run Harry Run ($21) boxing on for third, a further three-quarters-of-a-length away.
The Testa Rossa Stakes win made it back-to-back Caulfield wins for the campaign, with his only defeat in seven starts this year coming when unplaced as favourite in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile, and rider Jamie Kah said his ability to overcome the interference was a sign of his maturity.
“He’s grown into a man now and he pushed his way out of it,” Kah said.
“He’s still got improvement, he’s still had a big blow pulling up.
“I’m just so happy with how much this horse has changed since last prep, now he’s tractable, you don’t have to just jump and lead on him.”
It was a turnaround in fortunes for Maher and Another Wil’s owner/breeder Colin McKenna, who had Federer suffer defeat for the first time in his career when unplaced as a $1.55 favourite in the race won by Regal Zeus.
Maher was back in the winner’s stall 40 minutes after Another Wil’s win when Jimmysstar resumed with a fast-finishing win in the BM100 event over 1100m.
Jimmysstar was ridden by Blake Shinn, who caused the interference to Another Wil aboard Run Harry Run in the Testa Rossa Stakes and was the recipient of a 10-meeting suspension from stewards.
Shinn will commence his ban after next Saturday’s meeting, meaning he misses the Turnbull Stakes meeting on October 5.
More Racing News
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Improving trio to fly flag for Godolphin at Kembla Grange
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest benchmark...
Jason Collett hoping to find Express lane in The Gong
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing pattern...
Mark Walker aims for ‘new’ hometown Cranbourne Cup
Trainer Mark Walker has a good record when in form New Zealand gallopers land in Australia. Walker’s latest ‘import’ is It’s A Wild Night who will have his first Australian outing in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday. It’s A Wild Night arrived at Walker’s Cranbourne base just over a week ago...
Trainer Gavin Bedggood chasing Fortune in The Meteorite
Gavin Bedggood hopes the decision to take Oscar’s Fortune to Cranbourne for a midweek gallop will pay off handsomely on Saturday. Oscar’s Fortune runs in the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m), a new ‘slot race’ that Southside Racing, a merged entity of the Cranbourne and Pakenham Clubs, runs for the first time. The former...
Railway Stakes 2024 timing perfect for Baker’s Bel
In-form mare Belclare will need to overcome a wide alley to land her first Australian Group One win in the Railway Stakes at Ascot, and connections believe Nash Rawiller is the perfect man for the job. A two-time victor at the highest level in New Zealand, Belclare joined the Sydney stable of Bjorn...
John Stewart eyes Melbourne with 2024 Japan Cup fancy
Goliath faces one of the toughest tasks in racing this weekend, beating the Japanese at home in their biggest race, but John Stewart is already planning his next moves with his star recruit and Australia is on the itinerary. The ambitious American has quickly become a powerful investor in Australian racing and...
Hedged poised to give The Warra rivals a trim-up
The Magic Millions carnival is the campaign focal point for promising sprinter Hedged, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping he can knock off a feature race along the way. The gelding will resume in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, his first start...
