Willydoit and Holymanz chase Blamey Stakes glory for Maher

Champion from the New Zealand Derby, Willydoit, eyes a berth in the Australian Cup with his upcoming appearance at Flemington.

The Ciaron Maher-trained duo of Willydoit and Holymanz enter the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, seeking to strengthen their bids for more autumn success.

Entering his second season with the Ciaron Maher team, Willydoit is still searching for the peak condition that earned him the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) success at Ellerslie in March of the previous year.

According to Maher's national assistant trainer Jack Turnbull, plenty was discovered about the four-year-old during his Sydney spring campaign.

The gelding kicked off his return at Caulfield February 7, finishing ahead of only a single opponent in the MRC Foundation Cup (1600m), leading to blinkers being reapplied after he appeared a 'little plain' on resumption.

"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."

Having notched fourth in the Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick last autumn, Willydoit was among the elite staying three-year-olds, but the stable chose to test him in major spring events as a four-year-old.

Results included ninth in The Golden Eagle after a seventh in 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."

Holymanz, labeled an 'old marvel' by Turnbull, bounced back from a freshen-up to claim third in his latest MRC Foundation Cup outing.

"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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