Craig Williams relishing ‘hunter' role in Melbourne jockeys' premiership battle with Blake Shinn

Herald Sun

3 days ago

Champion jockey Craig Williams clawed back to within five winners of Melbourne premiership leader Blake Shinn with a Flemington treble.
Williams bookended the card on Saturday with the first winner – Duchess Zou – then piloted home the last two – Sayedaty Sadaty and Losesomewinmore.
Shinn moved to 71 on Saturday with one winner at Flemington – La Fracas.
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There are 25 metropolitan races left in the season.
'Blake is an amazing rider, a great friend of mine too,' Williams said.
'Even when we talked today going out for the last race I said 'mate, you're killing me'.
'He's like the Road Runner, I get close to him and beep, beep and he's off again.'
Williams is determined to try and win his 10th Melbourne jockeys' premiership.
'I love hunting,' Williams said.
'I need to hunt, Blake is unbelievable.'
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Sayedaty Sadaty sealed back-to-back wins to reignite spring ambitions.
A combination of gelding, more time to acclimatise and placement to advantage has helped the former international, trained by Ciaron Maher, start to repay connections on the racetrack.
Assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said Sayedaty Sadaty could race again at 2000m next month before attention turned to bigger prizes.
'I'd say we're one more at (2000m) if the boss wants to go (2400m), we know he can stay,' Turnbull said.
'It's now probably picking the perfect path into spring trying to get him qualified (for Cups), if he's good enough, we can work backwards.'
Charterhouse, also trained by Maher, placed third in the 2000m Open Handicap while stablemates Kettle Hill (ninth), Wyclif (13th) and Relentless Voyager (15th) raced 'well from where they were'.
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Duchess Zou capped a brilliant first racing campaign with her third success in five starts.
The Maher-trained filly overhauled Lario in the 1400m 3YO Open Handicap and held a comfortable margin on late-finisher Legacy Bay.
Maher said Duchess Zou, who placed third in the Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) the start before, would benefit from a short break.
'She'll have to get through the grades a little bit (next season), she's obviously on the right path,' Maher said.
'It's a winter race she was expected to win and done it quite well … in a couple months' time, she'll lift again.'
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Co-trainer Michael Kent Jr hailed Shinn's initiative as the catalyst for La Fracas completing a hat-trick of wins in the Benchmark 84 sprint (1200m).
La Fracas had easily won on heavy tracks at his previous two starts but found himself on firmer going and jumping from the awkward barrier one in the Flemington straight contest.
However, Shinn's manoeuvring got La Fracas ($2.40 fav) into the right part of the track from where he finished hard to grab De Bergerac ($5) on the line.
'Midrace, he made a daring move to attach himself to the back of (stablemate) Moby Dick, who he assumed would take him forward into the race,' Kent Jr, who trains La Fracas in partnership with Mick Price, said.
'That was the winning move.'
– with Brad Waters
Originally published as Craig Williams relishing 'hunter' role in Melbourne jockeys' premiership battle with Blake Shinn