“We think she is probably better left-handed and it is nice to have Ace [Lawson-Carroll, jockey] on her as they have had a great association.
“We think she can win but it won’t be easy.”
Hours before the Clotworthys head to Matamata for their sole starter for the day, they will give their exciting three-year-old Willydoit his first gallop since he finished only 10th as a hot favourite in last Saturday’s Avondale Guineas.
Since then Willydoit has drifted from odds-on to $4 for next Saturday’s Trackside NZ Derby and Mick Dee has replaced Masa Hashizume as his jockey.
“I had a good talk to Masa about it and he took it really well,” says Clotworthy.
Willydoit paraded looking lean last Saturday so the Clotworthys have been gentle with him this week.
“He went to the beach yesterday then we swam him today [Friday] and when he got out of the pool he looked really well.
“So we think we have got him heading in the right direction and he will gallop in the morning.
“We won’t ask too much of him, just nice, even work and a bit quicker from the 800m but at this stage we are looking good for next week.”
The Derby draw on Wednesday morning could determine Willydoit’s final price for the classic but rather than being the dominant favourite of Champions Day, he is now just another wonderful horse and storyline among the dozens swirling around as racing fans count down to our biggest-ever raceday.
Love, and winner, for Moroney
The racing world is still coming to terms with the sad loss of training legend Mike Moroney, who died in his sleep on Thursday morning.
But among the outpouring of tributes and adoration for the Kiwi trainer, there was also a poignant moment at Pakenham on Thursday night, with the promise of more to come today.
Burlington Gate, co-trained and part-owned by Moroney, won at Pakenham in the hands of Blake Shinn, triggering emotional scenes.
Moroney’s considerable shadow will also hang over today’s A$1 million ($1.1m) Australian Guineas at Flemington, in which his own stable has Plymouth, while former training partner Pam Gerard will line-up Savaglee for the biggest race of the New Zealand colt’s career.
But Gerard and her late mentor will also have a major influence at Wingatui in Dunedin for an enormous meeting there today, with nearly $1 million in stakes.
Moroney was a co-owner of speedster mare Shoes (R6, No.13), who looks perfectly placed in the main sprint with a good draw and dramatic swing in the weights.
Gerard also has Harlech, who she used to train in partnership with Moroney, as favourite in today’s $200,000 White Robe Lodge Stakes.
Patterson loses home
Leading Central Districts trainer Robbie Patterson was taking a philosophical approach to his personal dramas this week.
Patterson lost his home when it burned down but says news like that of Moroney’s passing puts even his disaster in perspective.
“It is bloody hard and we lost all our personal possessions but nobody got hurt and that is what really matters,” he told the Herald.
“We weren’t there when it happened so we are thankful for that.”
Patterson is hoping to find a reason to smile when he takes star staying filly Leica Lucy to Trentham on Sunday for the $150,000 Lowland Stakes (2100m) as her lead-up to the New Zealand Oaks, which she is hot favourite for, on March 22.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
