With a Group 1 victory already under his belt, the Ciaron Maher stable is hoping Another Wil can secure his second top-level win in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

After defeating Mr Brightside in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8, Another Wil will face six opponents in the All-Star Mile.

The Maher team bypassed the Futurity Stakes to focus on the 1600m of Saturday’s race, with assistant trainer Jack Turnbull opting for a jump-out at Cranbourne to fine-tune the five-year-old for the event.

While the small field doesn’t worry Turnbull, he admits he would have preferred a draw between barriers two and five, rather than starting off the fence.

“We’ve got similar tactics to Mr Brightside,” Turnbull said.

“The beauty of our bloke is he has a big stride, is fairly free flowing and he can hold a spot, whether that’s first, second or third.”

Turnbull believes Another Wil still has untapped potential, stating that he’s still growing and improving with each preparation.

“We believe he can improve, and in terms of a trip, he may stretch to 10 furlongs (2000m) and be as good at that as he is at a mile,” he said.

Now a five-year-old, Another Wil has won nine of his 14 starts, with three placings. Turnbull is confident in the horse’s Group 1 potential and was thrilled by his first-up win.

“We’ve always had the belief that he was a Group 1 horse, but a lot of horses show that and don’t always get around to doing it,” Turnbull said.

Light Infantry Man, another runner from the Maher stable, is also set to run after a solid sixth-place finish in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes. Originally targeting the Australian Cup, the decision was made to back up and aim for the All-Star Mile after a strong first-up run.

Turnbull sees Light Infantry Man as a potential threat, especially with the small field offering an opportunity to challenge Another Wil and Mr Brightside.