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LAURIE WILLIAMS

Laurie Williams, who trained successfully for many years, firstly at New Brighton, and then at Greenpark, died recently. Aged 79, Williams held a licence for over 50 years, and took one horse to Cup class, and another to the verge of it.

His NZ Cup runner was Idaho, but he considered Goldina, who nearly made it, the best horse he trained. A motor body builder by trade, Williams trained his horses around the Estuary and along South Brighton. Goldina was one of his early ones, and although unsound, measured up to the best company.

Williams took him to Auckland in 1952, but with the waterfront strike on, he was forced to hire a little fishing boat in Picton to cross Cook Strait. It is a fact, say his family, that Goldina's tail was almost dragging in the water as the craft ploughed through the water. On reaching the North Island, Goldina was unloaded by crane into the surf at Plimmerton, where Williams caught the train and continued the trip.

Williams made a number of trips to Australia, where he made contacts and sold numerous horses. He was also a regular vendor at the national sales of yearlings.

Idaho, a son of U Scott and the Grattan Loyal mare Fleuret, raced in the 1965 NZ Cup, the Inter-Dominions in Melbourne, and ran third in the International Pace at Yonkers won by Cardigan Bay.

Other horses he raced were Piccolo, Regalia, Joyfree (Geraldine Cup), Crystalline, Lily Chase (5 wins) and Verona (5).

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 3Oct90