Magnificent Andy is in line to join a select group of dual Hyperion Stakes winners when the hardy gelding contests the $200,000 Group 3 feature at Pinjarra.

Only Cambana Lad (1974, 1975), Heron Bridge (1984, 1986) and Marasco (2008, 2010) have been repeat winners of the event, though Magnificent Andy would become the first since it was changed to be a 1600m contest.

The chestnut has firmed to $2.90 TABtouch favouritism and his regular jockey Brad Parnham eagerly awaits the clash.

“I’m obviously pretty confident going into the race. His runs of recent times have been really great, and he gives 100 percent every time,” Parnham told TABradio.

“The last two starts, we’ve drawn awkward and have been caught wide.

“The other day, I managed to get across, but I rode him a little closer than I would’ve if I’d drawn a gate.

“Now we’re up to a mile and we’re drawn a good gate, I can probably position him where I want.

“I give him quite a big chance to go back to back.”

A one-length fourth to Jokers Grin in The Quokka, Magnificent Andy has followed that performance with valiant runner-up performances in both the Northam Stakes and Belmont Sprint.

Despite having 37 starts under his belt, the six-year-old has only raced over 1600m twice in his career for last year’s Hyperion victory and a later fourth in the Railway Stakes.

“He’s very strong at 1400m but think he’s the sort of horse who might be better at the mile,” Parnham said.

“His effort last start was great. He got challenged by West Star and he started to pull him back and managed to get in front.

“To me, it seemed like The Boss Lady’s turn of foot was a bit too sharp for him and she was able to get over the top of him.

“I think he’s developed into that horse that’s better at a mile. We’ll see what he can do but he should be going very close.”

His main rival could be $3.10 second fancy Western Empire, who missed the Belmont Sprint with a hoof abscess.

“It’s still a bit of an ask going from 1200m to a mile but I’m pretty happy with how he is,” his co-trainer Grant Williams told SEN.

“We got to put in an extra couple of gallops. I would’ve liked one more, but he had a really good hit-out on Wednesday.”

Williams also prepares $12 fourth fancy Hemlock Stone who he suggests will belie the maligned ‘second-up syndrome’, a metaphorical condition where horses underperform at their second start for a preparation after impressing at their first.

“I have got that in the back of my head about second-up syndrome because he’s a stayer but generally we don’t have that in our stable,” he said.

“Our stable, they generally bounce through the first one and their second one’s a good run.”