Trainer Ciaron Maher pinned his hopes on Saturday's Group 3 $250,000 Racing & Sports Doncaster Prelude (1500m) as the path to the big one and after a nervous moment when he was declared an emergency an early scratching meant the dream was alive quickly.
So can Another Wil, $1.95 with TAB on Thursday and second favourite at $8 in the Doncaster, continue his sharp rise?
Maher said on SEN it's hard to know where his top is given the ease of his three wins this time in.
"He's one of those horses that are very progressive, he's going up through the grades and winning similar or better while going up in grade,'' Maher said.
"That's quite tough to do. He's big and he's strong, he has a lovely big action on him, and he ticks quite a few boxes."
Another Wil has won his three runs this year by 3-1/2 lengths, 3-1/4 lengths and 4-1/2 lengths and was never troubled in the latest over 1600m at Flemington.
Since then Maher transferred him to Sydney and he took out a trial, with Jamie Kah in the saddle, at Rosehill on March 18.
"I was confident it was the right race for him to contest,'' he said.
"We got him up to Sydney early and he had the trial. He's travelled up, trialled really well the other way and Jamie was happy with him.
"He has a good draw which will help and he's obviously got a very good chance."
The four-year-old has just 50kg in the Doncaster Mile and the winner of the Prelude is exempt from ballot.
Group 1 winning mare Ruthless Dame has her best chance to break through for her first victory since last year's Sangster Stakes, according to Maher, in the Group 2 $300,000 Canadian Club Emancipation Stakes (1500m).
The four-year-old was runner-up in The Invitation and ran seventh in the Golden Eagle in the spring and Maher said she'll appreciate a class drop after contesting the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap three weeks ago.
"I didn't expect her to be leading her last start against Imperatriz, she's had a solid prep and obviously it's a step back in grade from where she was,'' he said.
"Good draw, Jamie's in form, there's a lot to like about her."
Ashrun continues his Sydney Cup campaign in the Group 1 $1.5m Kia Tancred Stakes (2400m) and it's a race Maher feels he's not out of place in despite taking on weight-for-age.
A runaway winner of the Pakenham Cup second-up, where he appreciated a strong tempo, the gelding has just 52.5kg in the Sydney Cup.
"I wouldn't have thought going into the prep he'd be lining up in a weight-for-age mile and a half but he's in really good form and it's a similar preparation to what he did in the spring,'' he said.
"He was super at Pakenham and he's a horse in form."
