| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2004
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| Phil & Bev Williamson |
The win came at the minor expense of Ado's Invasion, who had his chance and closed the margin to a neck, and the major expense of the globe-trotting veteran, Lyell Creek, who found the question of relentless speed too hard to answer. That is where Williamson had placed Allegro Agitato, in front and humming. She had blotted her copybook the week before when breaking and running eighth in a stand behind Major Decision. "She can lose it, and I think she just freaked out when she saw Aramid doing things wrong," he said.
The Sundon mare drew wide but was quick enough to cross them, while Lyell Creek was a shade off them. Driver Anthony Butt had him off the markers and sitting fifth on the outer after 400 metres. "I didn't really want Lyell Creek to come up when he did, but we got cracking them. She got up on the steel, and I could see him start to get a bit tired before the corner," he said. No surprise in that, Allegro Agitato ran the 2600m trip in 3:16.1, which was two seconds quicker than Sunny Action's NZ record for a mare of 3:18.1.
Remarkably, Allegro Agitato has won her nine races and $90,000 from just 20 starts, in 20 months. "But she was special right from the start. Even well before she raced she showed potential. She had class," he said. Williamson is still mindful of her dodgy little ways. "I just hope her head stays the right way round," he said, as he considered her trip to Alexandra Park for two races, the first this Friday night and the other, the Rowe Cup, a fortnight later. "She is a good stayer, but is pretty fast too. What I am really looking forward to with her is the Flying Mile at Ashburton in the spring. I am sure she could run some sort of time if she got the right draw on the front," he said.
Allegro Agitato is raced by Michael and Roni Lauren of Oamaru, who bred the mare, Michael's brother Dennis, Pip Gerard of Hamilton, and Williamson. Her dam is Chiola's Lass, the winner of 10 races, and NZ 3-Year-Old Trotter of the Year in the 1990/91 season.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15Apr04
YEAR: 2005
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| One Over Kenny & her pleased owners |
He has increased the stable to 13, which is a comfortable number, and one he knows he can manage with time to attend to the little things. With it has come more success than they gave thought to, including a heat of the Inter-Dominions with Allegro Agitato and success by One Over Kenny in the $30,000 NZ Trotters' Trust Trotting Oaks at Addington last Saturday night.
The win by One Over Kenny was pretty much in keeping with Williamson's professionalism and knowledge of what he needed to win the race. "Phil said a year ago that we would win the Oaks with this filly," said Bev.
A chestnut filly by Sundon from Frances Jay Bee, the winner of six, a half-sister to big winner One Under Kenny (11 wins), and half-sister to One Kenny (17), One Over Kenny showed off her class with a stayer's run that started at the 1200m when Williamson sent her round the field. She was as strong as an ox in the run in, beating Petite Sunset by a length. Now Williamson will step her up a notch by running her in the $50,000 NZ Trotting Derby on Friday week, and he expects her to be no less competitive in that company.
One Over Kenny is raced by Heather and Lex Williams, formerly of Waimate where they had a farm, and now in Oamaru where they operate a movie theatre. New clients of the stable, they bought her as a yearling for $23,000, and returned to this year's Premier Sale where Williamson bought them a brother to Lord's Invasion, the young winner of two of his three starts.
Williamson has been a shining light in the North Otago area since winning 16 races with the first horse he trained, Role Model. He then won seven with Cockie, by Chiola Hanover, who won on Cup Day at Addington. This season he has trained 23 winners, quite a margin ahead of his previous best which was 14.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 31Mar05
YEAR: 2005
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| Jasmyn's Gift outfinishes stablemate Allegro Agitato |
Having won the NZ Trotting Oaks at Addington last month, Williamson returned last Friday night for the sequel to the appetiser, not only winning the Group 1 $50,000 Tyco Electonics/ Ralph, Thompson, Shaw & Thompson NZ Trotting Championship with Jasmyn's Gift but running second with her stablemate, Allegro Agitato. For Williamson, who has had many special moments this season, this was the best of them. "It would be my biggest thrill in racing," he said. "I have had some good tutors along the way, and you don't lower the colours of Tim Butt often in these types of races," he said.
In this case, he was surprised the Jasmyn's Gift would do it, rather than the more fancied and better-performed Allegro Agitato. "She has shocked a few, including me," he said. This was the supreme test for Jasmyn's Gift, a 5-year-old Sundon mare whose assignment was by far her biggest to date. "She went outstanding. To be honest, I had my reservations about her because there have been a lot of little things she hadn't done before. When we took the lead (off Allegro Agitato) Tony (Herlihy) could see how well we were going. She has never been one to fold up, but I couldn't believe the way she pricked her ears and strode away in the straight," he said.
Jasmyn's Gift entered the record books on two counts, the other being her mobile 2600m mobile time of 3:15.9 which bettered the 3:15.9 she set on February 18 when she defeated Some Direction and Marie Wishes. This performance has now put the Rowe Cup on her agenda, although Williamson knows the assignment will not be an easy one. "She has never raced that way round, and that was a factor against the Australian horses when they were in Auckland last month. It can take racing to handle that. But on the way she raced tonight, I have got to pursue that way of thinking," he said.
Jasmyn's Gift is from Ilona Del, a Speedy Summit mare from Del May who Williamson drove to win a race at Waimate for Polly Cleave. She was owned then by Allan Elderton who bred the top class trotter Directorship from Del May, and gave Williamson the mare to breed two foals. One was Iona Whiz, who won a race at Winton and after being sold went through to good company in Australia. Ilona Del, owned now by Clive and Rona McKay, has since left progeny to Holdonmyheart.
While Phil and his wife Bev were disappointed that their son Nathan was not on track to see the mare's big win, they were quick to give him credit. "He has done a lot of work with her, and has kept saying she is as good as Allegro Agitato."
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly
YEAR: 2006
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| Ricky May & Phil Williamson |
Two years ago, Williamson drove Allegro Agitato to overcome barrier nine in leading over the last 2400 metres to score in a then race and national record of 3:16.1, spoiling the party when Lyell Creek resumed his career in New Zealand. In between, only stablemate Jasmyn's Gift has spoiled Allegro Agitato's party by downing her in a superlative display last season, recording a new race and national record of 3:15.1 which still stands. Allegro Agitato recorded 3:18.1 last Friday night, but it was no less a searching contest in the cool and breezy conditions. "They really smoked along early, and while she seemed a long way from them the race really played into our hands," said Ricky May.
Allegro Agitato had only two behind her in a strung out field passing the mile, but May was soon on the move improving three-wide in the open and took up the running passing the half, proceeding to step out a quarter down the back in 29 which had everybody off the bit, before the 7-year-old Sundon mare "eased herself down" near the finish to score by two lengths over the game Some Direction, Ruthless Jenny and Toomuch To Do in a race dominated by mares.
Cracker Nova crossed fron the outside of the front line to lead early before Castleton's Mission, in very unfamiliar territory, worked wide and into the lead at the 1900m mark and took them through a rapid lead-time of 1:15. He was ready to wave the white flag when Allegro Agitato surged up on her relentless run however, and the second favourite beat only an errant Gold home.
"She can do that - ease herself down - but she was just cruising and would have picked it up again if something had come along," said May. May has been her regular pilot this season and has also won the Ashburton Flying Mile, Group 1 NZ Trotting FFA on Cup Day and $100,000 Grand Prix at Moonee Valley in December with her.
Allegro Agitato now joins such famous names as Nigel Craig, No Response and David Moss as the only two-time winners in the 49-year history of the Trotting Championship. For May it was his third Trotting Championship, having won with Warren Stapleton's Highwood and Cedar Fella, the best trotters he has driven until Allegro Agitato. "Cedar Fella was a great horse when he was sound, and Highwood could have been anything if Warren knew then what he knows now. "But they're three completely different horses - Allegro Agitato has more speed and is sound for a start."
It was Williamson's fourth training win in the event, having first signalled his arrival on the big-time trotting scene in 1996 with Role Model who downed Call Me Now, Chiola Cola and Diamond Field. Williamson, who races Allegro Agitato with Oamaru breeders Michael and Ronnie Lauren, said she will now head for "whatever mobile races there are for open class trotters," which is likely to mean a $15,000 preferential draw 2600m affair at Addington next Saturday night. If not, having accomplished her solitary mission this time in, Allegro Agitato will head to the spelling paddock before Williamson initially sets her for a crack at a third consecutive Ashburton Mile win and then suitable races at the NZ Cup Meeting, Auckland and Melbourne again.
"It is tempting to look at the Rowe Cup again, but with Delft on ten metres she is going to be jammed in there (off the front) and there's probably not much point - it's not really an option," said Williamson. "Her record from a mobile - in fact her record overall if you eliminate the races where she took no part - is quite outstanding though, and we'll just keep her to those now," he added.
While Allegro Agitato began her career with 19 races from a stand and won eight of them, more recently they have been a disaster for her and include blowing the start in the last two Dominion and Rowe Handicaps. Her only win from a stand since scoring from a 10m handicap at Addington in January, 2004, was at Gore from 40m a fortnight before the Trotting Championship in her only lead-up race. "She can be okay with nobody behind her, and that served as a suitable race to clean her up."
In 16 races from a mobile in New Zealand, Allegro Agitato has now won seven and been placed as many times, only failing to pay a dividend twice at Alexandra Park when fifth behind Delft over Christmas when noticeably below her best form, and in last year's Inter-Dominion when she galloped on her only occasion behind the gate. Overall, her record in 45 starts in 17 wins, eight seconds and eight thirds for stakes worth $356,382, with the promise of much more to come from such a lightly-raced mare.
Allegro Agitato is known about the stables as 'Cindy', a name given to her by the Laurens when she was a foal. "She grew up in a paddock with two other fillies, which looked like ugly sisters compared to her, so they called her Cinderella," said Williamson. "I've had cause to call her a few other names at times, but we all love her," he added.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 5Apr06
YEAR: 2009
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There seem to be quite a few Prendergasts in southern racing. How did you all get into it?
Dad had a garage in Hyde with a bit of land attached and there were six boys in the family. Four of them had a go with racehorses. Dad raced Wildwood Chief out of Wes Butt's stable and he won the Sapling Stakes and nearly won the Derby. He drowned in a pool after he was sold to Australia, or that is what they said. We always had horses around and got up teams for the picnic meeting circuit back in the 1940s and 50s. I had a horse with Wes for a while called Top Tally as a two-year-old. I still have the bills. Four pounds ($8) a week fees, two pounds for shoeing and two pounds to float a horse to Kaikoura.
Were there trotters at the picnics?
Gallopers too. I rode the gallopers as well and Tony also later took up training them. Every little town like Naseby and Dunstan had their picnic meetings and their Cup races. We won all of them at one time or another. I actually won the last raceday saddle trot run at Oamaru on Roman Scott, who was by Highland Fling. He was trained by Davey Todd who had Cardigan Bay - he had got beaten in his only saddle trot. I took out an amateur trainer licence in 1956 and won my first race with Tessa, a Direct Heir mare. I moved to Palmerston and had a farm there which I ran in combination with shearing.
You were pretty good on the board?
I could shear around 340 in an eight-hour day. That was right up with the guns then.
Good money?
You used to get five pounds two and sixpence ($10.25) a 100 then. Now it is about $120 a 100 but of course everything has changed.
What made you give it up?
I got TB and had to. The trouble was the farm was not really viable without the shearing so I sold up and moved to Oamaru. I got more serious with the training then, though I had a lot of back trouble after a race accident.
What happened?
There had been a smash on the first round and a couple of drivers were still on the track. When we came around again the ambulance went right across in front of us thinking it was protecting those two, but three or four horses ran into it. I ended up landing on the shaft of another cart. They told me it was bruised and I drove home sore, but it was a lot worse than that. I got used to it, like you get used to the wife, and I could still shoe horses. But it always gave me trouble. Not like the wife.
When did the bigger world get to take notice of your horses?
We ended up setting up next to the Oamaru track and built a house there. I got to know Colin Campbell who has that Moccasin breed which did so well (stars like One Over Kenny, Leighton Hest, Springbank Richard, and earlier Stylish Major and Le Chant). It was funny because Moccasin herself was a pacer by Indianapolis, who had won three New Zealand Cups pacing. Anyway, Colin and I worked in together for 28 years and while down there I had Robbie Hest for him among others. I drove him to win the Trotting Stakes and he had a lot of speed. But he was a hard pulling horse and it found him out over a distance.
Of course some of the stars from that family are now with Phil Williamson. He worked for you?
Yes, and one season when I was out with my back, he drove nine winners in a season, which was tops for a junior driver then. Phil was a real natural with horses. We were standing Depreez at stud then, though he didn't do much good, and some of the mares were a handful. Phil had a special way with them. He could catch them when nobody else could. Later on, I had some really good boys like Mike Heenan, Greg Tait, Graham Ward and Carl Markham. Terry Chmiel started off with me, too, when he was at school.
What other horses were going well then?
Hajano was a very good pacer and so was his half-brother Johnny Baslbo. We sold him to America for something like $50,000, which was good money them. Israel did a good job for us at Addington in the early 80s. He was unbeaten at the Cup meeting (three wins)which was a very rare thing in the intermediate trots.
Why shift to Chertsey?
Partly family reasons. There didn't seem to be a big future for kids in Oamaru. So we bought Slim Dykeman's place which had a new barn, built another house and lckily we got away to a great start there.
Like?
The first three horses that went out the gate all won. Light Foyle won about nine for us pacing in the end. We took a truckload to Nelson and had a great innings there. The Simon Katz came along.
Your best?
Not the fastest but he won over $300,000 and took me a lot of places I hadn't been. He just never went a bad race. Our Eftpos card, I call him. You took him along and he got you some money.
A natural?
Yes, but weak. I told the owners early on he would take a lot of time and thankfully they gave it to me. He had one start at four and maybe five of six at five. He won a Dominion and a Trotting Free-For-All and did what Israel had done, winning three at the Cup meeting. He ran second in a Rowe Cup and third in an Interdominion after getting skittled on the first lap.
Your son in law, Anthony Butt, took over the driving?
I did all the driving for a while, but the horse got a bit blase about it and used to have me on a bit. Someone fresh made the difference.
Did he take a lot of work?
No, he was good winded. We did a lot of road work with him. He was a lovely natural trotter, sound as a bell. He was by a pacer, Noble Lord, and from an Eagle Armbro mare and they weren't much. Just shows you. We used three-ounce galloping plates on him all round. Kerry O'Reilly did a lot of our shoeing. He was a legend at it. We never found out if Simon Katz could pace because he never had the hopples on him.
What became of him?
Funny, he died of cancer not long after he retired. He had what was diagnosed as a virus and we turned him out in the back of Hawarden. My son picked him up on Christmas Eve and as soon as he got him home told me he was a sick horse. He was gone in no time.
Yet not the fastest trotter you trained. Who was that?
Hickory Stick. He was a nine-year-old when we got him and he had been up in the hills for two years after breaking down in the tendon. Stuart Sutherland had had him and I was actually in the chapel at Stuart's funeral when I remembered he had told me it was the fastest horse he had had. When I got home I rang up the owner, Bruce McIlraith, to see what had happened to him and he was just about to go into work. We won five with him and some top races like the Banks Peninsula and Canterbury Park Cups.
Any horses which you rated highly we didn't get to see?
There was one called Skipper Dean. He was a trotter by Master Dean but was too unsound to go far with. He could have been anything.
You spent a lot of time in administration?
I was one of the founding members of the Oamaru Owners Trainers and Breeders back in the 1950s, which is still going, and it went from there. It could be tough in those days. If you had a licence you couldn't be a member of a club. When I first got a driving licence I was only allowed to drive in Central Otago and south of the Clutha. Waikouaiti was about half an hour away and I couldn't drive there! I put a lot of years into the Horseman's Association and am pleased to say it has a much greater standing with officialdom than it had when I started.
What was the best horse you have seen?
Highland Fling. They used to bring him down to Forbury when we were kids going to the races with Dad. If there had been hopple shorteners and ear plugs around in those days he could have been anything. I was a big Noodlum fan possibly because I bred one from him we sold on for $30,000. That helps your regard for any horse.
You trained mainly trotters. Was that by choice?
It didn't really matter to me. You do get identified as a trotting specialist when you have a few of them, bu we had some top pacers too.
Did good owners make the difference to you as a trainer?
I always say one third paid by return mail, one third paid on the 20th and one third didn't. It is tough on a professional trainer who has to carry that last third with his own money for another month.
Any regrets?
Possibly only that I never worked in a professional stable.It would have made things easier when I was picking it up. I was 42 before I had my first drive at Addington. That doesn't make it easy. But overall I would do nearly all the same things over again.
Credit: David McCarthy writing in The Press 16 June 09
YEAR: 2011
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| Dr Hook (inner) holds out Springbank Richard (1) |
Dr Hook was the winner, leading throughout for Jimmy Curtin, Springbank Richard was the best of seconds, and Beat The Monarch was a chirpy third at long odds after trailing.
Raydon, I Can Doosit and the Swedish mare Annicka all ran well enough to expect at least more of the same this week, but not everyone was happy. Chris Lang was back at the drawing board after Sundon's Gift ran well below his best, even taking a tough trip into account. "No matter how you look at it, that was a bad run," he said. Sundon's Gift was parked, and started losing ground before the turn. Lang said the horse should have stayed on better than he did, in spite of the run he had.
Further up, there were good reports, especially from Mark Purdon and Anthony Butt. "I'm very happy with him," said Purdon, of I Can Doosit, who added that Auckland Reactor had resumed work with the intention of racing again soon. "He did a bit of work early, and had the run he needed."
Butt was just as upbeat with Annicka, and expects her to be a formidable threat this week, when trainer Jorgen Westholm will take over. "She got held up on the corner behind Sundon's Gift and wanted to hang a bit when we came out. She found the line well, and she went to the end of the back straight before I could pull her up."
Phil Williamson was a man on more of a mission with Springbank Richard, whose form had been patchy at best and a worry at worst. The race would give him a bead on just wherehis form sat - and it did. From three-deep, Springbank Richard flashed into second, which carried the message Williamson was after. "It was just the run we wanted. He's a very nice horse when he's on his game. If he's as good late on as he was tonight, he's got a real chance in the Final," he said.
Paul Nairn had Dr Hook in grand shape and still expects him to get better. "He has only raced once since the Cup Meeting, and he's always happier racing right-handed," he said. Asked whether three races in a fortnight might be a hurdle for the 5-year-old, Nairn said: "I'm sure he's done it before ... on the Coast, three races in five days. I know he will be a stronger horse in a year or two, but he's fit and there's no point in being here if your not. As far as being good enough, he'll answer that question."
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 30Mar11
YEAR: 2009
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Two of the Phil Williamson stable's rising stars were on display at Addington last Friday night, one with half as many legs as the other. First there is Leighton Hest, a Dream Vacation 4-year-old who ran third first-up this season and has now won his last six in a row. And the other up-and-comer is the young chap who sits behind him, 18-year-old Matthew Williamson.
The duo combined to record their biggest wins to date when Leigthon Hest took out the $30,000 First Sovereign Trust 4YO Trotters Championship last week, running along in front to score more easily than the half-length margin suggested.
"He's pretty good," said Matthew, who was beaming after his first Group victory. "He's a great stayer, but he's got speed as well. I wanted to keep him running and take a bit of the sprint out of the rest of them. He's just lazy, and pulled up halfway down the straight when there wasn't any other horses round him."
Williamson didn't have much else on his mind other than rugby when he attended Waitaki Boys in Oamaru, but there was little doubt in his mind what he wanted to do once he left school. His parents already had one son (Nathan) choose harness racing as his career, did they really want another? "Mum probably didn't, but Dad needed helpers. And I love it. I wanted to try and get to fifteen wins as quick as I could this season, so I could drive in the big races - like this one."
Nathan has already established himself as a talented reinsman, and when he joined the Kirk Larsen stable at the start of the season there was a space for Matthew in their parent's barn. Plenty of friendly rivalry goes on between the two brothers too. "He's usually the first to tell me if I have a shocker," Matthew said with a smile. "And he's a wee bit too big to give a bit of ribbing back too - I just normally give him a touch-up on the way past."
Understandably, parents Phil and Bev are very proud of the start that their second son has made. "I'm delighted with him, winning a Group race in his first season of driving," Phil said. "Nathan did the same. But, it's not through any tuition from me. All we want is that they do what they want to - kids have got to have their own passion for things. We never forced them to come down to the stables, they did that on their own accord; both Nathan and Matthew started getting interested on a day-to-day basis by the time they'd reached high school."
There are two more Williamson protégés waiting in the wings...daughter Jasmyn, who is 16 and keen but more likely to stick to riding ponies rather than driving harness horses, and youngest son Bradley, a 14-year-old who's "looking very capable" and a "natural talent" like his brothers before him.
As for Leighton Hest, the chief of the Williamson stable says he's been a bit of a surprise to them all. "He's stepped up, for sure. At home he's not a horse that shows you what he does at the races, put it that way. But going from being a maiden to winning a Group 3 in one campaign is a pretty good effort. It's hard to put a big rap on a horse when they win against the lower grades, but after this there's no doubt he's going to the top. He's got the all-round game...an enormous desire to win, and when he knocked off tonight like he did - that's the sign of a really good horse. He's definitely exciting us."
It is amazing to think that yet another top-line trotter is emerging from the Williamson stable, especially when the list is already a long one. Humbly, Phil puts it down to basics. "It's a kindness thing. And a love of horses - a passion for them. When you love them, and treat them kindly, if they're any good they're going to reward you."
The rewards could keep coming thick and fast from Leighton Hest, with his next main target being the Jewels. "We'll give him a freshen up now, and possibly one or two races before the big one at Ashburton in May. We've got to be a wee bit careful though, because it's been a long season for him. He'll be okay from behind the mobile, even though he hasn't had one yet, and the mile should suit too."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HR Weekly 1Apr09
YEAR: 2009
2009 HELLER'S SMALLGOODS DOMINION
Phil Williamson left his stable star at home on Cup Day, knowing full well that there was an even bigger cherry to bite into three days later. In the end the decision proved a masterstroke, and Springbank Richard won last Friday's $250,000 Group 1 Heller's Smallgoods Dominion at Addington with an emphatic performance.
It must have been a pretty hard call to bypass the NZ Trotting Free-For-All on Tuesday, especially when you train the best trotter in commission at the moment and he is at the top of his game. But Williamson had a plan and he stuck to his guns, casting aside the lure of a $56,000 cheque in preference for one worth nearly three times as much - not to mention the kudos that went with it.
"I felt it was like having a test match before a test," the Oamaru horseman said, justifying his reasoning. "If I started him in the Free-For-All, it was just going to come down to how he would recover in the two days afterwards. And I don't think he would have. He still might have been able to do the two, but the risk was there. I knew that I could do the work with the horse leading into the race, hopefully having him as good as I could get him on the day."
More prevalent in the back of Williamson's mind was the fact that his family had never tasted success in the 'NZ Cup of Trotting' - which is remarkable in itself, because over the years 'Team Williamson' have won almost every major square-gaiter's race that there is on the calendar. But not the Dominion, and that made him even more focussed. "It's a very difficult race to win," he says. "We have been placed in it that many times, and you only get one chance a year - that made me even more determined to try and win it this season. I don't know how Tim (Butt) has managed to do it so many times. I even joked with him before the race today, saying we were halfway there because he wasn't in it. But no it was something that we hadn't achieved, and now that we are on that list I can go to my grave happy," he said with a smile.
Of all the major trotting events up for grabs each season, the Dominion really stands head and shoulders above the rest because it's list of past winners is like a veritable 'who's who' of the sport in this country's history. In the last dozen or so seasons alone you can reel of the likes of Merinai, Cedar Fella, Lyell Creek(three times),Take A Moment(three times), Martina H, Pompallier, Whatsundermykilt, Mountbatten and most recently Stig - and now Springbank Richard has nestled himself amongst the greats.
It was some effort too, because after being four-wide for a big part of the early running the son of Sundon pushed forward to be parked and later took the lead, exertion which should have meant he was a sitting duck for a horse such as Sovereignty that was enjoying a cosy run on his back. The two favourites engaged in a ding-dong battle up the home straight, and Springbank Richard's margin of half a head on the line probably didn't do the stayer's effort justice.
"When we were wide around the first bend, he was wanting to rip and tear even then," said driver Nathan Williamson afterwards. "I was happy to sit there - he wasn't and that was the only thing I was really worried about, him getting too keen and over-racing. One of his earplugs came out at about the six hundred metre mark, and when I pulled the other one on the home bend he still had a kick."
Williamson Snr says the plan for Springbank Richard from here is a couple of trips across the Tasman. "We may go to Australia now for the Trotting Grand Prix (December 4) and the Bill Collins Mile a week later, then come home and go back across in January for the Inter-Dominions," Phil said. "That is if I can get the right flights. He doesn't mind travelling, it is just that he frets for home when he is away and loses a lot of weight on a trip."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 18Nov09
YEAR: 2008
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Springbank Richard booked his ticket for the Harness Jewels in Cambridge with a brilliant win at Addington last Saturday night.
It was the second start and second win for the son of Sundon in his 4-year-old season, which, for him, only got going earlier this month. That meant he was in 'catch up' mode for a place on the Jewels leaderboard, but his winning cheque of $27,315 from Saturday's First Sovereign Trust 4YO Trotters Championship has now put him well into the 'safe' zone. And what a victory it was, because Springbank Richard was used twice to get to the parked position and yet he made a star-studded field look second-rate when he forged away on the turn and won comfortably.
"He's so easy to drive," says Nathan Williamson. "It's almost a case of don't be unlucky, and that's it. He was fair bolting on the turn tonight, and I could've put a couple of lengths on them; he tends to wait for the opposition a bit. He's definitely the best horse I've driven."
Prior to his winning resumption at Invercargill three weeks ago, Springbank Richard was last seen romping away with the Victoria Derby way back in July. His late start to 2007/08 is all part of the master plan, one where trainer Phil Williamson is looking much further down the track. "We wanted to give him as light a season as possible, because he's a lean, mean machine," Williamson said. "And as he gets stronger, we hope he'll keep getting better. We've just got to man-manage him from here. I mean, you could get carried away and start in a race like the Rowe Cup - but why would you do that and risk undoing him, whereas if you wait then you can start him in it five years in a row."
As firmly as his feet are on the ground, Williamson can't help but be excited about the horse that's now won his last six outings - and eight from nine since joining the stable. "Horses like this are born, they're not made," he said. "And he could be something special for sure."
Williamson said Springbank Richard will have an easy time before the Jewels now, with at least one more run somewhere on the cards, and then the star 4-year-old could even go north early for a race at Cambridge or Alexandra Park - "for a look around the place. I think the Jewels is going to be very much about the draws," he warned.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 27Mar08
YEAR: 2006
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| Bev, Nathan & Phil Williamson |
And for a while trainer Phil Williamson was considering the prospect of sitting in the stand for it all, not that that was unduly worrying him. Williamson would need a crowbar to prise his 18-year-old son Nathan from driving Jasmyn's Gift after a memorable first Group 1 success in Friday's NZ Trotting FFA, and in a somewhat surprising move, Allegro Agitato will get another chance from a stand after blowing the start in the last two Dominions and Rowe Cups. She will continue her association with Ricky May, while One Over Kenny earned her shot at the Dominion when she was seen at her demoralising best in the $20,000 Konami Trot last Friday.
With an Auckland trip coming up over Christmas, Tony Herlihy had the option to handle One Over Kenny in the Dominion, a race he has surprisingly won only one and 14 years ago with Directorship. But Sly Flyin's win in the NZ Free-For-All later in the day, which earned him a Miracle Mile invite, will almost certainly see Herlihy in Sydney this Friday night instead of Christchurch. Williamson will probably thus take the reins on One Over Kenny, and the stable could quite conceivably run the trifecta in the Dominion with these three quite outstanding mares.
It was almost certainly a unique event to have four trotting events on the one programme last Friday, and Williamson almost won all four of them. Prior to Jasmyn's Gift and One Over Kenny scoring, Lets Get Serious had caused a minor upset in downing the odds-on Tim Butt and Phil Anderson trained Moment Of Truth in the opening event, while the tables were then reversed when Smart Seeker won over the slightly unlucky Blakatak, a recent addition to the stable and yet to finish out of the money in six starts for Williamson.
Jasmyn's Gift had her chance when third on Cup Day, but an entirely different track and tactics saw her back to her brilliant best. Eased off the gate from a handy draw, Jasmyn's Gift had only one behind her in a fairly strung out field when Nathan Williamson set off at the 1800m with what amounted to a 'search and destroy' mission. Taking up the running with a lap to travel from Glenbogle, Jasmyn's Gift would not be denied in the run home as he challenged in the passing lane, and Allegro Agitato finished on out wider from three back on the fence. "She doesn't have the speed of the others, but gee she has a lot of guts," said Nathan. "She just loves the wet, so as soon as I got out there and saw how much the track had deteriorated, I became quite confident. I knew the conditions would take the sprint out of the others," he added.
The 7-year-old daughter of Sundon was well outside her own national 2600m mobile record for mares of 3:15.1, but her 3:19.5 in the conditions was still a highly commendable performance, and far too much for rivals which had far easier runs and the drop on her. Glenbogle rallied well in the worst of the conditions nearest the pylons, but Jasmyn's Gift always had him well covered, while Allegro Agitato had her high speed negated, particularly when attempting to sprint on the home turn in what had become a 'pretty shitty' part of the track.
Jasmyn's Gift has had her share of problems this past year, failing to produce her best form during an Australian campaign and having some joint soreness issues since returning this season to win four on the trot. "She's had problems with soreness for a while now, and you can't keep her 'screwed down' all the time," said Phil. "She takes a torrent of work, but you have to peak her at certain times. The race on Cup Day would have cleaned her up nicely, and I'm picking she will improve again with today's race," he added.
An improved Jasmyn's Gift will be a scary thought for her rivals going into the Dominion. Im last year's Dominion, she did a stretch and seemingly her chips at the start, but went the 'race of the century' to somehow finish third to Pompallier, a sound enough fourth on Friday. Allegro Agitato is also coming to hand nicely, and will be the hardest for Jasmyn's Gift to beat this week if she steps away with them. "She's been going away good from stands at the trials, and the ten metres will make all the difference - hopefully," said Phil. Outside of winning from 40 metres at Gore last march, in a lead-up race to winning the NZ Trotting Championship at Addington ar Easter, Allegro Agitato hasn't even attempted a stand in the last two and a half years, apart from blowing the starts of those two Dominions and Rowe Cups.
One Over Kenny won't be the worst in the Dominion either after coming off 20 metres and sitting outside the warm favourite Tozzie over the last lap. Tozzie had to work to find the lead over the first 800m, but Herlihy had him covered a fair way from home and Tozzie galloped under pressure before One Over Kenny strolled home by almost three lengths over Rhythm Of The Night and Lord Rotarian. "I was getting her ready for Auckland over Christmas - she is very good that way round - but I guess she has probably earned a shot at the Dominion now," said Phil. "The owners have been threatening to send her stud, so hopefully she has done enough to earn a reprieve in that respect anyway. As intended we pretty much gave her the 4-year-old season off, and she's still on the way up now," he added.
But the day really belonged to Jasmyn's Gift and Nathan Williamson, and he had quite a rollercoaster ride of emotions in the aftermath. A flourish of the whip as she crossed the line was soon followed by some tears of joy upon easing up, and not long after there were some tears of pain when Williamson copped a well delivered and timed hind kick from his favourite mare, flush on the shin. He was doing up a cover strap behind Jasmyn's Gift when she simply responded to entire Winforu squealing in the next stall. Williamson was hobbling around and wincing with the pain for a good 10 minutes afterwards, and will be sporting a very good bruise this week, but lost none of his admiration and joy for Jasmyn's Gift after his biggest win by far, and hers since downing Allegro Agitato in last year's Trotting Championship in record time. "She is just a lovely mare and that is not her at all - she would never kick out in her life - and I would have no qualms about sleeping between her legs. Even if I had to be getting around on crutches, you couldn't stop me driving her next week," he said.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 22Nov06