Favourite backers were cheering on Friday night at Canterbury when odds on chances Willingham and Just Maz took out races three and four with the promising pair of winners both 3yos by Coolmore’s Justify (USA).
Improving in each and every run to date, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Willingham was slowly away from the inside gate with Tim Clark urging him along the rail to settle in third behind Godolphin’s Rhetoric and Copy Cat.
With third favourite Rhetoric leading the field into the Canterbury straight, Copy Cat started to weaken as Chris Waller’s Saint Aldwyn commenced his run, momentarily holding Willingham in a pocket.
Once clear, Willingham pushed between Rhetoric and Saint Aldwyn, and once Clark had the upper hand, the race was all over as Willingham pulled away to score by a half-length margin from Saint Aldwyn with Eynesbury working home well from back in the field for third.
“We had him trained right up,” said stable rep Neil Paine.
“The bonus was today, when he was in behind, then he had to bullock himself out.
“You knew from the furlong, when Tim pushed out, he wanted to win. So that's a good sign for a horse.”
Ridden by Clark for the first time, not all went to plan, but it was good to get his maiden victory out of the way.
“Obviously we were going to be positive from that draw and try and hold the lead, but having his third run at 1200m, he just lacked that little bit of early speed, but I thought the race was run at a nice sort of even gallop,” said Clark.
“He was comfortable and, he showed a bit of courage to sort of get through and take runs and fight them off so it was a good strong effort.
“I think he's ready for a step-up in trip now, and obviously that one will give him a bit of confidence.”
Purchased by Yulong for $180,000 from the draft of Kitchwin Hills at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, Willingahm was then passed in shy of his $350,000 reserve at the Inglis Easter yearling sale.
Retained to race by Yulong, Willingahm is the first winner from two to race out of the Shamus Award mare Yolanda, a half-sister to G3 winner Tallow, the dam of Golden Slipper winner and promising young sire Farnan.
Yolanda’s current yearling, a filly by Home Affairs will be offered through the draft of North at the upcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale where she’s catalogued as Lot 192.
The following race saw the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexious trained Just Maz justify her short quote, recording a gutsy effort to win on debut.
Racing in the silks of John Singleton, the 3yo filly came out of the barriers well under Nash Rawiller, going forward to settle on the outside of Chris Waller’s 4yo Written Tycoon mare Rach.
As Rach kicked rounding the home turn, it took Just Maz a few strides to balance up, but once she did, she chased hard to nab the leader just before the post in what was a hard-fought victory on debut.
“She’s a nice filly and I think there is a stakes race in her, but I think the stakes race will be over a bit more ground. It’s 1250m today and she only got warmed up late.,” sayed co-trainer Gerlad Ryna post-race.
“There's a couple of those nice 1,400m stakes races towards the of the carnival. We might give it a little breather and aim her towards them.”
Having been aboard the filly in all her three trials, Nash Rawiller clearly understood the ability of his filly.
“She had to pull something out over the last 50... first time out over 1250m. That last 50 is always going to be the hardest, but, these horses with a little bit of class, that’s where it shines through.
When quizzed if he saw Just Maz stepping up to stakes class, Rawiller said the filly had plenty of upside.
“She knows what she's doing, but she's still got plenty of upside. And, you know, it's great to have another nice horse for a Singo and his crew.”
Purchased by her trainers from the draft of Coolmore at the Inglis Easter yearling sale for $800,000, Just Maz is the third winner from three to the races out of the Listed-winning Darci Brahma mare Marianne (NZ), whose current yearling, a full-sister to Jus Maz and multiple winner Amreekiyah will sell through Coolmore’s draft as Lot 418 at the Inglis Easter yearling sale.
A half-sister to G2 Tulloch Stakes winner Yaletown (Vancouver), it looks as if a step up to stakes class will be a natural progression for Just Maz off the back of her win.
The sire of 54 stakes winners led by nine G1 winners, Justify did not shuttle to Australia last season, but his four-time G1 winning, Champion son City Of Troy (USA) made the trip, covering a solid book of 157 mares at a fee of $49,500 (inc. GST) while his G2-winning son Storm Boy covered a whopping 247 mares at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST), more than any other first season sire of his year.
