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By Ray Hickson

While Ciaron Maher says there’s 10 million reasons to want to take on the Golden Eagle with classy four-year-old Willydoit, there’s also a few more million reasons for Everest placegetter Jimmysstar to continue his preparation at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Ciaron Maher (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Jimmysstar produced a brave performance to run third in the TAB Everest behind Ka Ying Rising after “owning” his wide barrier.

With Maher electing to contest the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) the horses’s owners stand to collect just over $3.4 million if he’s able to win.

That’s thanks to two bonuses the gelding is eligible for on top of the $1,725,000 first prizemoney.

He’s currently one point off the leader, Briasa, in the Sportsbet Bet With Mates Bonus series that’s run through the Everest pathway, with a win good enough to take the $1 million bonus attached.

And a win would also earn his connections $700,000 via the Sportsbet Multi Bonus for horses that contested the Everest, Sydney Stakes or Kosciuszko and the Russell Balding.

Maher said on Sky Sports Radio the gelding handled the tough Everest run well and an extra 100m will only be a plus.

“He seems to have come through very well, we don’t do a lot with him when he’s on a two week turnaround,’’ he said.

"The Russell Balding over that little bit further is only going to be of benefit to him.”

Jimmysstar, $2.70 with TAB on Wednesday, won’t have a wide barrier to deal with on Saturday, he’s drawn four, and Maher said when it came to his Everest tactics he had no choice other than to ask Ethan Brown to do his best to win the race under less than ideal circumstances.

He was forced to make an early move, running 10.24 from the 1000m-800m (Punter’s Intelligence), to put some pressure on Ka Ying Rising and the trainer couldn’t have been more proud.

“He’s just a ripper horse. Ethan knows him very well and I said to him I didn’t want to die wondering,’’ he said.

“So given where we were drawn I thought we were going to be three wide anyway so we might as well own being three wide.

“I thought he did that very well, the horse was very brave. From the 1000m to the 800m he’s run a 10.2 or something like that. Then to be there at the end.

“He was ready to peak for that day and that’s certainly what he did.”

Although there’s no bonus attached to the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), Maher is hoping the blinkers going on Willydoit with bonus up his chances in the rich race.

The gelding, whose charity partner Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation will receive a donation of 10 per cent of his prizemoney, made a smart return in the Tramway but had his spring interrupted with an eye injury forcing him to miss the Epsom Handicap.

But he showed he’s in order a week later running seventh in the Alan Brown Stakes (1400m).

“His first-up run was very good and I thought that might have been his fresh run,’’ he said.

“Given the purse on offer I just thought we needed to travel that little bit better to have a bit better turn of foot.

“We tried the blinkers in trackwork and they seemed to have the desired effect.”

Maher said in an ideal world he’d have liked Willydoit to have drawn a little closer than 11 but, being a large animal, he’s erring on the side of believing it’s not an issue around Randwick.

He feels the NZ Derby winner’s future will ultimately be in races around the 2000m mark.

Jimmysstar runs third in the TAB Everest

“He’s a very athletic, high quality, horse that’s very adaptable,’’ Maher said.

“You saw his run first-up over 1400m, his splits were very good, then last prep he got out to a mile and a half and was able to win a Derby.

“He’s still furnishing, he’s a massive horse, and I think he’s got such a bright future for the autumn and beyond. He’s just a very exciting horse.

“There’s 10 million reasons to have a crack at the Eagle with the shades on.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Golden Eagle meeting at Randwick