He’s done it there, now he’s going to try to do it here. Again.
With his maiden Group One win secured at Addington, Nathan Williamson will attempt to dominate another of Southland’s biggest days in harness racing.
With his Group One winning filly Captains Mistress heading his powerful line up, punters will be queuing up to put their faith in the trainer.
Of all of Williamson’s warmly supported runners, there is some irony in it being his Group One winner that the horseman would love to see get a slice of luck, more than some of his others.
Williamson is resigned to the fact that all of Captains Mistress’ rivals will be out to make life hard for her on Group One Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup Day.
But if any luck came her way he would take it in a heartbeat.
“She is very classy and I am sure she could do it the hard way and still win,” Williamson said.
“She is at her best if she is able to use her speed and this is her last run of a big campaign before she gets a freshen up.”
“Hopefully she can tuck in somewhere at some stage of the race, but either way her class should take her a long way.”
Always Dreaming also faces starting from the outside of the gate in his Invercargill assignment.
But there are several factors making it a completely different prospect for the two-year-old.
“This is only his fourth run this time in, he had that last start in the Group One at Addington and since then he seems to have thrived.”
“I have been really happy with his work and with the drop back in grade and the smaller field he should be hard to beat.”
Ruby Roe is another royal winning hope for Williamson in Friday’s Canada Stakes.
The filly has performed with real merit in recent Group One assignments at Addington and she deserves to start a warm favourite.
“She’s been going great races in the best company and I have been really pleased with her.”
“The are a couple of slight concerns in that she hasn’t performed at Ascot Park before and the 1700m there can be tricky.”
“She is obviously going to have to be put in the race at some stage and if she gets a half-decent run I am sure she will go a great race.”
The 1700m sprint trip is also a slight concern for Williamson ahead of Secret Agent Man returning in Friday’s Sires Stakes Southern Solstice.
“The 1700m is the only slight query because he isn’t a horse I have pushed early.”
“Being that distance, he will need to hold a forward position and more than likely he will be fine.”
“He is a nice horse and I have been really happy with him, I think he will be hard to beat.”
Miraculous undoubtedly cops the worst draw of the Williamson hopefuls, wearing saddlecloth 14 in Friday’s finale.
But his trainer thinks he can overcome it.
“The draw obviously makes things tough for him, but he’s a classy horse and if he gets the right sort of run into it he should be right there.”
The winning chances don’t stop there for Williamson, with Hidden Talent and Flying Without Wings in the Group Three Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes, as well as Sweet Sue and Ultimate Weapon also stepping out at Ascot Park.
Published by arrangement with Southern Harness Racing.
Author: Jonny Turner, Harness Racing Journalist.