Can Material Man go back-to-back?

Myalup-based trainer Justin Warwick expects boom gelding Material Man to be a major threat in this Sunday’s $100,000 Prince of Wales Hotel Cup (2019m) at the Bunbury Turf Club.

The five-year-old will step up in distance, after tacking 1400m and 1600m this campaign, in a bid to win the feature race against a top-quality field which includes Tonto, Dark Alert and Bedamijo.

Chris Parnham will regain the mount, after Peter Hall guided Material Man to a last start victory in the $60,000 Vale Brandan Thompson (1600m) at Ascot last Saturday.

Parnham has ridden Material Man once before, piloting the gelding to a relentless third behind Corporate Larrikin and Majinka in February.

Warwick said he was impressed with Material Man’s efforts this preparation and the gelding looked well-poised leading into Sunday.

“Material Man will go well. He can’t go bad that horse, he is quite good,” Warwick said.

“He’s had 11 starts for seven wins and three placings and a fourth.

“He’s third-up and has had three trials so that has given him a bit of a preparation – he’s a very good horse so fingers crossed.”

Warwick also told the South Western Times dominant filly Quilista could be targeted at the $120,000 APH Contractors Bunbury Stakes (1400m) on March 19.

Quilista, a three-year-old out of Brocky’s Ace, secured a third-straight victory with a win in the $17,500 Heineken 3 Handicap (1200m) at Ascot on Wednesday.