Big step up for Doo You Want Me at Cambridge tonight

By Jordyn Bublitz 

Unbeaten this campaign, Doo You Want Me faces his toughest assignment to date when he steps into free-for-all company in tonight’s Group 2 Waikato Pacers Flying Mile (8.31pm) at Cambridge Raceway.

The son of Captain Crunch has been faultless through four starts this preparation, quickly working his way through the grades and now landing in open company against some of the country’s most established performers including Republican Party, We Walk By Faith, Merlin and The Janitor .

Formerly prepared in the Manawatu by Stephen Doody, the gelding shifted north to Tony Herlihy’s Clevedon barn ahead of his four-year-old season, a move that is already paying dividends.

“I think there were just more opportunities for him up here,” Herlihy said. “He was getting up in the grades a bit, so his owners decided to send him up here.”

While his rise this campaign has been sharp, the ability has always been there.

“He had shown quite a lot of ability when he was with Stephen. He was good enough to run in the Great Northern Derby, so he always had that potential. He’s just kept on getting better.”

Herlihy has been encouraged by how the gelding has come through his last run, with his work ticking over nicely ahead of tonight’s assignment.

“He seems really bright, I can’t fault him on his work. We like to give him a wee bit of time between races, and it seems to suit him.

“We’ll have to see how he copes with this grade, it will be a learning curve for him.”

Drawn to advantage in barrier one for the mile, Herlihy will take the reins himself, with the preferential draw offering some assistance, but no guarantees.

“I’d like to think that he’ll be thereabouts. If he could run in the top five, he’d have gone a good race considering what he’s coming up against.

“The preferential draw helps him a little bit, but these horses have got real speed and stamina, so it will definitely be a test for him.”

Regardless of the result, the focus remains on whether the gelding fits long term at the elite level.

“It’s really going to depend on how he comes through this run, and a couple of other runs he’ll have coming up, he’s going to have to front up.

“We probably need a bit of time in this grade too, just to harden up and see if we think he’ll be good enough to compete with those top horses later on.

“He’ll let us know whether he’s going to be good enough, or just below this grade.”

Tonight shapes as the next key step in the unbeaten pacer’s progression, and a chance to see if his rapid rise can carry him into open-class company.