Houtzen (Image: Racing Queensland Twitter)
Craig Williams said he always felt last season's star two-year-olds would measure up in open-age grade, and he gets the chance to frank that belief aboard Magic Millions winner Houtzen in Saturday's Mitty's McEwen Stakes (1000m) at The Valley.
The five-time Scobie Breasley Medallist got the call-up to ride the star filly who is allocated 50kg under standard weight-for-age conditions in taking on the older sprinters in the Group 2 five-furlong dash.
Williams, who was the dominant rider of juvenile horses last season and banked himself his first Blue Diamond Stakes success via Catchy, said he believed the babies would progress in the spring, and Houtzen is his first chance to test that.
"I felt through the autumn those two-year-olds would make really good three-year-olds, and if they were to make good three-year-olds, they had to be competitive against the open-age horses," Williams said.
"I thought they were good enough to make the early step.
"This will be another telltale, how they do step-up against the older horses."
Another of the babies that Williams has helped bring to prominence was the Ciaron Maher-trained unbeaten colt Jukebox, and on Thursday, he tuned the Vain Stakes winner up with a gallop at Ladbrokes Park ahead of Saturday week's Danehill Stakes at Flemington.
"Ciaron just asked for a bit of a maintenance gallop for the Danehill, and he said he'd be a bit fresh and run him through his gears late without putting him under too much pressure," Williams reported.
"He jumped out and was very keen early, but it was nice after 200m he switched off nicely, Jalan Jalan took up the trial [running], we were able to get on her back.
"Once we started to get into the dip and make a run-in, Super Cash came outside, and she trialled extremely well and we were able to go with her.
"And I thought he did well, especially when I don't think he's comfortable in that [wet] ground at all."
Meanwhile on Saturday, Williams rides Lonhro filly Banish in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes, and despite a breathtaking first-up victory at Cranbourne, he wasn't getting carried away just yet.
Williams said the Godolphin-trained three-year-old still needs to show she can do it on top of the ground, with both her wins coming on wet tracks.
"She was impressive on a Heavy track - we more than likely won't be getting a Heavy track on Saturday," he said.
"If she could emulate that type of performance on top of the ground, then they're in for a nice prep with her, and you'll see her in the black-type races during the spring."
Williams hasn't sat on Articus just yet, but he's confident he can unlock the Australian Bloodstock-owned galloper's potential in the Group 2 Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes on Saturday.
"Articus being a European horse gives me a really good head start, as I'm using to riding over in Europe, and Japanese horses," he said.
"So it gives me a good opportunity and a good understanding before I ride them.
"Luckily Darren Weir's stable has given me a ride in the Dato'.
"Looking forward to it - he's starting off his preparation."