Beaten favourite returns for Another Doncaster tilt

Image: Bruno Cannatelli

Ciaron Maher will saddle up three runners in his quest for a maiden Doncaster Mile win.

A beaten favourite in last year’s Doncaster Mile, Another Wil is returning to Randwick for a shot at redemption and wide barrier aside, trainer Ciaron Maher says the horse couldn’t be better prepared.

Twelve months ago, Another Wil had won his first three campaign starts in Melbourne by a combined total of more than 11 lengths before coming to Sydney and scoring a sweeping victory in the Doncaster Prelude (1500m).

He backed up seven days later in the feature Randwick mile and in hindsight, Maher admitted it all came too soon.

“Last year just came a little bit early for him,” Maher said.

“He had to back-up, he had a wide gate and had to do a little bit of work early and probably overdid it a fraction.

“He has matured a lot and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

A brilliant first-up winner of the C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield where he claimed the scalp of heavyweight Mr Brightside, Another Wil was badly tightened for room in the straight before finishing a luckless fourth in the All-Star Mile (1600m).

Unlike last year, he heads into Saturday’s Doncaster Mile (1600m) off a month-long break between runs with a jump out in between to keep him up to the mark.

“It works for him. He was very good fresh, he was very good second-up and I’d expect him to be very good again,” Maher said.

Drawn barrier 18, Another Wil is a $9 chance to deliver Maher his first Doncaster with stablemate Gringotts ($7) the most fancied of the stable’s three runners from a good gate in six.

A gutsy last start winner of the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) in which he denied Fangirl and Ceolwulf, he has undeniable claims and the race has been a long-range target.

“The plan has always been the ‘Donnie’ and to do that at weight-for-age last start is pretty exciting,” Maher said.

“He drops to a nice weight (55.5kg), the mile is right in his wheelhouse so it looks a nice race for him.”

Roughie New Energy ($81) rounds out Maher’s Doncaster string and while he will need to lift on his unplaced first-up effort in the Ajax Stakes (1500m), Maher says the Group 3 winner is a capable horse on his day.

“The horse does possess that ability. He will need things to go his way but he could hit the line pretty hard,” he said.