Home Time for NZ Derby Hero Willydoit

A return across the Tasman is on the cards for last season’s New Zealand Derby winner after a short, frustrating Australian campaign failed to deliver on early promise. According to NZ Racing Desk, Willydoit will head back to New Zealand to rejoin trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, with the stable opting for a reset after the gelding finished last in the G2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. The son of Tarzino was one of the standout three-year-olds of his generation in New Zealand, winning four of six starts last term and peaking with a Classic triumph in the Gr1 New Zealand Derby. Midway through that breakout season, MyRacehorse Australia purchased 50 per cent of the gelding, with the Clotworthys and Bryan Black retaining the balance of the ownership. His first Australian test came when he crossed the Tasman and finished fourth in the Gr1 ATC Derby (2400m). He then joined the powerful Ciaron Maher operation, but five subsequent runs failed to yield a placing, prompting connections to pull up stumps and send him home to recover. “I was talking with Ben (Willis) from MyRacehorse Australia after his last run in the Blamey Stakes,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “He just hasn’t come up this time, which often four-year-olds don’t come up after their three-year-old year. “Ciaron has done a great job with him over there and he has really matured into a professional horse in their big operation. “We decided to step back a little bit and bring him back to New Zealand and give him some lush grass and look after him for three or four months and then we will reassess after that.” Saturday’s Ellerslie meeting still looms large for the Clotworthy stable, with their slot in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) to be carried by To Bravery Born, trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. The son of Snitzel will jump from barrier five with Rory Hutchings aboard and is rated an outsider at 81-1 in a race where Well Written is hot favourite.