Another shot at Group 1 glory for Wil in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
Another Wil has saved the two worst runs of his career for his two Group 1 assignments to date, but Jamie Kah is confident a change in tactics can spark a more favourable result in this Saturday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.
Kah is using lessons from seventh placings in both the Doncaster Mile and Toorak Handicap to formulate her game plan ahead of the $1 million event over 1400 metres.
Kah will be desperate to avoid leading, as Another Wil did in those two 1600-metre events.
“He just can’t lead in that class of race,” Kah said.
“He’s done it back when he was against very inferior opposition, but he’s just a horse that needs to take a sit.
“If it’s box seat, it’s box seat, he doesn’t have to be further back in the field, but he just has to have cover in these Group 1s, so I’d put a line through the Toorak.”
Kah rode Another Wil in the Doncaster Mile, when he was beaten just under 2-1/2 lengths, but Michael Dee was aboard when he was beaten just under 10 lengths in the Toorak Handicap.
Another Wil drew barrier five in what is now a 15-horse Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes field after the early scratching of Private Eye with noted front-runners Buffalo River and Gentleman Roy among his rivals.
Another Wil bounced back from the Toorak defeat to score an emotional win under the late Col McKenna’s colours in the Group 2 The Damien Oliver at Flemington on Derby Day when dropping back to 1400m.
It was the Street Boss gelding’s fourth win in a row at 1400m, with his only defeat at that trip coming when second in a Werribee maiden on debut, and Kah is happy to see him stay at that trip this weekend.
“I was thinking it was 2000 (metres) last prep, but now I’m thinking it’s 1400,” Kah said when asked her thoughts on Another Wil’s pet distance.
Another Wil holds down the second of betting in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting behind Ciaron Maher-trained stablemate Jimmysstar, who was runner-up in The Damien Oliver.
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