Details
Willydoit is trained by Shaun and Emma Clotworthy. Emma Clotworthy shares ownership along with Bryan Black, plus hundreds of micro-share owners in a syndicate put together by the international MyRacehorse group. [3] Shaun Clotworthy's father Kim, himself a successful trainer, was part-owner of the 1977 New Zealand Derby winner Uncle Remus. [4]
Willydoit was the first Group One winner for Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, and the first Group One victory on New Zealand soil for Michael Dee. [5] A successful apprentice jockey in his homeland, Dee relocated to Australia in 2015 and has ridden numerous Group One winners in Melbourne. [6]
Willydoit was bred by Gerry Harvey and is a son of Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino, who himself won the Victoria Derby at Flemington Racecourse in 2015. [7]
Westbury Stud offered Willydoit at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, where trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy bought him for $75,000. [8]
Unraced as a two-year-old, Willydoit made his debut in the spring of his three-year-old season with a strong-finishing third over 1150 metres at Te Aroha. [9]
All of his subsequent New Zealand starts came at Ellerslie Racecourse, where he rose to New Zealand Derby favouritism with three impressive victories in a row on December 12, January 1 and February 1. [10]
That burgeoning reputation was dented with an unplaced finish in the Avondale Guineas, which is traditionally regarded as a key lead-up to the New Zealand Derby two weeks later. [11] Willydoit was a huge margin from the lead in a slowly run race, making little impression in the straight and finishing 10th behind the Australian raider Thedoctoroflove. The race time was 2:16.67, seven seconds slower than subsequent Derby winner Orchestral the previous year. [12]
However, the Clotworthys were unfazed and pressed on towards their long-time goal, and Willydoit went down to the New Zealand Derby starting gate as a $3.70 equal favourite. [13]
Ridden for the first time by Dee, Willydoit was awkwardly drawn in gate 14 among a 16-horse field and was caught wide around the first turn. Dee elected to press forward, sliding up into third down the back straight. The two horses in front of him began to tire coming down the side of the track, and Willydoit marched forward to take command.
Willydoit kicked away in the straight and put himself well out of reach, winning by two and a quarter lengths from Thedoctoroflove and Golden Century. [1]
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