Once-a-year punters looking for their Melbourne Cup favourite by name, as many do, could do far worse than take a peek at Hoo Ya Mal.

The four-year-old entire’s mum’s name is Sensationally and he is co-trained by the legendary Gai Waterhouse. What’s not to love?

Hoo Ya Mal will also be ridden by veteran star jockey Craig Williams, as in-form as any hoop competing this spring and who knows how to get a Melbourne Cup winner across the line following his thrilling 2019 victory aboard Vow And Declare.

Williams told Inside Rail he had his first sit on the horse at Werribee on Tuesday and plans another on Friday. He and Waterhouse agreed they were not sure whether the English import would be seasoned enough at this point in his career to win a Melbourne Cup, but both also thought there was something special about him.

“I worked him over five furlongs (1000m) and finished with a sharp 400m,” Williams said.

“I felt he wasn’t at his best on the rain-affected ground, but would really come on. It was a week out from the race, so it will be really interesting to compare him on Friday. But he was sharp enough, he’s got a nice action and he’s very well.

“Whatever he’s doing now, I know in 12 months he’s going to be a better and more furnished racehorse.”

Just three starts ago, in a 2412m race at Goodwood, Hoo Ya Mal finished in third place alongside runner-up Deauville Legend, who is now the outright $6 favourite for the Melbourne Cup. He won over 2816m at the same track the next starts and that appears to be a decent enough formline to give him some hope.

Waterhouse described him as “sexy”, but Williams declined to buy into the trainer’s typically

“I don’t know about that,” he said. “I’m married and my wife has two legs, not four.”

Interestingly, Hoo Ya Mal finished third at his first career start at Sandown Park in July last year. The winner was last week’s Cox Plate placegetter El Bogedon.