The All Stars Stables, operated by supremo trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, have three runners in the race, with Pacing Major and You Gotta Have Faith joining More The Better in the nine-horse field.
Victory would give Purdon his eighth win in the race, and the barrier draw of 3 handed out to Pacing Major means the juvenile colt is the one to beat at his $1.45 opening quote from bookmakers.
Pacing Major won the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton a fortnight ago, partly due to a clever drive from Dexter Dunn, who was making a rare appearance in the All Stars colours.
Dunn will team up with Pacing Major again. His big threat, More The Better, will be stuck out at barrier 8.
The draws were basically reversed at Ashburton, although Dunn took the initiative to snare the lead.
"Obviously, I wasn't expecting Dexter to settle as forward as what he did,'' Williams said yesterday.‘
"He summed it up pretty early and took advantage of everyone else going back, I suppose, and that was probably the winning of the race.''
"My fellow tried hard the whole way up the straight. The other fellow was a bit too quick for him but it was still a very pleasing run.''
Williams plans not to be caught out again, and he is pleased he is behind an adaptable son of Bettor's Delight.
"He's got the all-round game, and you couldn't probably fault him,'' Williams said.
"He's so sensible it makes my job a lot easier and gives me a lot more options.''
More The Better chased well for second in the Sapling, and the small field means he should settle close enough to Pacing Major to be a threat entering the long Wyndham straight.
"Obviously, Dexter's horse has got the barrier draw and got options, but if I'm two or three lengths off them turning in, I wouldn't say I'm not without a show at all.''
Williams said the small number of nominations helped the stable make the decision to send the trio south.
"That's one of the things that must have swayed Mark to put them in when he saw the numbers were light - to get the race off the ground.''
Another run would not do them any harm, Williams said.
You Gotta Have Faith was solid on debut in the Sapling Stakes, finishing fourth, and Williams expects natural improvement from the relative of Have Faith In Me.
Matt Anderson takes the drive again.
"That was as good as to be expected first up,'' Williams said.
"He still went 1.55 himself and that's no foul effort, so he's the sort of horse who will appreciate having a race-day run under himself.''
Mongolian Hero, who was third in the Sapling Stakes, is the main threat to the All Stars trio.
He starts from barrier 6 for trainer Paul Court and driver Blair Orange.
