Two years ago, Tim Williams ventured south to Forbury Park to partner up with a fresh-faced 3yr-old named Have Faith In Me.
And while it would be a massive reach at this stage of his career to suggest Spondulicks might follow in the footsteps of his brilliant stablemate and be the next Pacer Of The Year, the brother to Piccadilly Princess should only get better after his debut in the Sires' Stakes heat at Forbury Park tonight.
Spondulicks is one of three runners from the Rolleston stables of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen in tonight's $22,000 heat, and it appears only Mongolian Hero can thwart the All Stars Stable from claiming the trifecta in the six-horse field.
Last season's star juvenile pacing male, More The Better, has drawn barrier 1, Spondulicks is in 2, and the third stable representative, Ultimate Machete, has drawn the outside barrier.
With no second line, and More The Better sure to push out from barrier 1, Williams will be happy to duck for cover behind the race favourite.
''Things can turn pear-shaped pretty quick out there,'' Williams said.
''But on the way More The Better gets off the gate, you wouldn't think there would be too many there that Mark would want to trail, especially over 1700m. That would be the ideal place for him - he's only a wee fellow.
''The trip down there will be good for him and he's got a nice draw so he should get a comfortable run. We'll get a good line on him, but it's a pretty tough yardstick to measure him on first up.''
Spondulicks has only had four public outings at trials or workouts - one last season and three in this preparation - in stark contrast to More The Better, who has had 10 race starts, and Ultimate Machete, who has had six.
''The other two were up and down the country last season and this fellow has just had a couple of workouts and trials. Mentally, he just hasn't got that ringcraft yet. He's probably one to follow in the next three to four starts.''
More The Better already demonstrated he is ready to fire after running a close second to Titan Banner at the workouts on September 27, while Ultimate Machete beat Usain Colt the same day.
''If you've got something that can run up next to Titan Banner under a hold, it's probably pretty good form for a six-horse field,'' Williams said.
''[Ultimate Machete] only had the one trial but Natalie [Rasmussen] was quite happy with him and he ran a good enough time. On what he did last year, that was always going to suggest he was going to be a good 3yr-old too.''
Williams will once again team up with Smolda in the Canterbury Classic at Addington tomorrow night after the 8yr-old finished eighth in the New Brighton Cup last month.
''He would have taken a bit of benefit from that last run,'' he said.
''He's definitely sharpened up a bit. You couldn't fault his work but it will be another tricky race.''
Stablemates Lazarus and Have Faith In Me will have plenty of supporters after their big runs for third and fourth respectively in the New Brighton Cup, although Williams was impressed by some of the other rivals in Friday's automatic qualifier for the New Zealand Cup.
''It's a quality field. If horses like Locharburn get it right at the start and Christen Me and Franco Nelson go like they did the other night, it will be a good race.''
