Liam Howley enjoyed the perfect start to his training career when imported galloper Homesman scored a narrow victory over stablemate Almandin at listed level at Caulfield on Saturday.

Howley replaced Robert Hickmott as the head trainer at Lloyd Williams’ stables Macedon Lodge in November but had not has a runner for his first three months at the helm until the pair of imports strode out onto the track for the Mornington Cup Prelude over 2000 metres.

By the time they’d reached the post, just a short half head separated them, with Ben Melham willing Homesman ($7.50) over the line on his Australian debut after it looked certain that Almandin ($4.60) and Damien Oliver would run him down inside the final 100 metres.

Part-owner Nick Williams said that Homesman’s first run in Australia might prompt a change in plans for the horse. ‘’He could join Almandin in the Australian Cup after that,’’ he said. ‘’I’m sure he’ll appreciate the big track at Flemington.

‘’For Homesman’s first run here, it was very, very exciting. We think they both have plenty of improvement in them, so today’s a great kick-off for them.

‘’Homesman’s had shown some good form over a mile-and-a-half at Royal Ascot and then ran a credible third after a bad ride in the Belmont Derby, so we were encouraged that he might be a good horse going forward.’’

As for the eight-year-old Almandin, who could wind-up this campaign with a Sydney Cup run, Williams said the stable had been delighted with his preparation to date.

‘’Almandin was really good and his condition and the weight (60 kilograms) probably told in the end.’’

Also poised to run in the Australian Cup on March 10 is the Zipping Classic winner The Taj Mahal, who was scratched out of the Peter Young Stakes on Saturday as connections feared starting his campaign in unfavourable conditions.

‘’With the weather forecast for rain, we thought the track could chop out and if the rain doesn’t come, by race nine the track’s going to be quite firm so that wasn’t a great recipe for him,’’ Williams said.

‘’He’s going particularly well and he’ll go to the Australian Cup first-up.’’

Clear Skies Aidan's sole entry in the Winter Derby

19.02

Aidan O'Brien has trimmed his Betway Winter Derby team down to just on entry Clear Skies at the five-day stage for the Group 3 (all-weather fast track qualifier) event.

Aidan had the likes of Deauville and Idaho among his original entry, but only JP McManus' Dundalk regular remains among 14 in contention for the Lingfield showpiece. She has been very consistent on the all-weather surface running on it 9 times winning 5 and placing once, she has won 4 times over the Derby distance of 10 furlongs. 

Aidan's possibles for the Kentucky Derby

18.02

• By Eric Mitchell  Blood Horse

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn and two other horses in the care of trainer Aidan O'Brien are being considered for the enhanced European Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Mendelssohn, Seahenge, and Threeandfourpence could run in either the March 1 Kentucky Derby Conditions Race at Kempton Park or the March 2 listed Patton Stakes at Dundalk, according to Coolmore. Closer to these races, Aidan has said he will decide where each of the horses will start. Aidan has won the Patton three times in the five-year history of the race with Gale Force Ten (2013), Washington DC (2016), and War Secretary (2017).

The one-mile races are run on the all-weather racing surfaces and will award qualifying points toward a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 20-8-4-2 scale. The final race on the European schedule, which included four races for 2-year-olds last fall, is the March 30 Burradon Stakes going a mile at Newcastle, which offers points on a 30-12-6-3 scale.

In addition to the qualifying races in Great Britain, another possibility—likely more so for Mendelssohn or Seahenge—is a start in the 1 3/16-mile Group 2UAE Derby Sponsored By The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group March 31 on Meydan Racecourse's main dirt surface. The UAE Derby offers 100-40-20-10 to the top four finishers and is part of the United States Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The European Road to the Kentucky Derby is a stand-alone series, separate from the U.S. Road. It will award one starting gate spot to the horse who accumulates the most points in the series and accepts a spot.

Both Mendelssohn and Seahenge are sons of Ashford Stud's late sire Scat Daddy, whose progeny excel on both turf and dirt. Both horses were bought by M.V. Magnier at the 2016 Keeneland September sale, where Mendelssohn topped the sale at $3 million and Seahenge was acquired for $750,000. Mendelssohn—a half-brother to champion Beholder and sire Into Mischief —was bred and sold by Clarkland Farm, while Seahenge was bred by K & G Stable and sold by Lane's End. The colts are raced by long time partners Mrs Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. Threeandfourpence, a son of War Front, is a homebred racing for Evie Stockwell.

Aidan has six nominated to the U.S. Triple Crown. The others include U S Navy Flag (War Front), Europe's champion 2-year-old after winning the Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes and Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes; Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy), whose best win to date came in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh; and Group 2-placed Murillo (Scat Daddy), who has not started since finishing third in the July 1 Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh.