Racing: Williams sets sights on hat-trick

A third successive Caulfield Cup loomed in Craig Williams' sights yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

A third successive Caulfield Cup loomed in Craig Williams' sights yesterday morning as he galloped third favourite Dandino.

The English galloper, trained by an Italian, owned by Australians and who last start won the American St Leger in Chicago, gave Williams an instant winning feel in his second workout in the past week at Werribee.

Dandino worked with another international, Forgotten Voice, beating that horse by a half length and, according to Williams, doing it easily.

"He would have been better suited sitting off another horse, but once I asked him to extend and the other horse joined him I liked the way he responded in the straight," he said.

"Without pressing the button on him this morning, for him to do it under his own steam, it couldn't have been any better.

"I've got no doubt he can bring the form he showed me this morning to the Caulfield Cup."

With wins in the past two Caulfield Cups on Southern Speed and Dunaden, Williams knows what it takes to win the A$2.5 million race. And he is confident Dandino has it.

"Dunaden was a super racehorse and Southern Speed had everything work out right for her," he said.

"Dandino is different to them, but he gave me the impression he's the sort who you can park anywhere in the race and he'll be happy."

Dandino is trained by English-based Italian Marco Botti, who produced Jakkalberry to win last year's American St Leger and finish third in the Melbourne Cup.

While Dandino impressed Williams, fellow rider Brett Prebble was equally pleased with Forgotten Voice, a horse who is on the verge of making the Cup field.

"If he got a run in the Caulfield Cup, I'd ride him," Prebble said.

"He gave me a real good feel. I was surprised at the turn of foot he had.

"And he's a big strong boy and I couldn't pull him up, that's what I liked most about him."

Prebble is committed to a Lloyd Williams runner, although he doesn't know which one. The jockey who won last year's Caulfield Cup for Williams on Green Moon, said that horse wouldn't run, leaving Masked Marvel, Seville and Fawkner as the stable's most likely runners.

Of the likely Williams trio, Prebble suggested Fawkner could prove the pick ahead of his stablemates after his good fourth in the Turnbull Stakes.

"His run the other day was huge. He was exposed from the 700m, in front from the 300m," he said.

With Green Moon out, weights will go up 1.5kg to the relief of Nash Rawiller who will ride equal second favourite Royal Descent at 54kg.

If Green Moon were to stay in the race Royal Descent's 52.5kg is out of Rawiller's range and Glyn Schofield would be the likely rider.

- AAP

Market: $4.60 Hawkspur, $8 Royal Descent, $10 Dandino, Silent Achiever; $13 Sea Moon, $15 Jet Away, $17 Dear Demi, Masked Marvel; $21 Fawkner, $26 Mr O'Ceirin, Super Cool, Seville, Green Moon (unlikely); $34 Quintessential, $41 Trevieres, Julienas, Simenon, Kesampour, Foreteller (unlikely), Ethiopia, Tuscan Fire, Waldpark, Sneak A Peek, Forgotten Voice, Moriarty. $51 and better: The rest.