Counterparts give Williamson GOAT status

By Jonny Turner

Nathan Williamson might have 99 problems, but winning races ain’t one.

The trainer-driver put on a masterclass at Central Southland yesterday winning five consecutive races in the sulky, with two of his winners coming from his own stable.

Williamson was left with plenty to celebrate after his winning run, but also with a couple of problems.

The first was the good-natured ribbing he copped from his fellow horsemen who labelled him ‘The Goat’ – an acronym for the Greatest Of All Time often used to describe sporting champions like Tom Brady or Michael Jordan.

It is easy to see why he was given the title as Williamson was notching wins as easily as Jordan sunk winning baskets and as seamlessly as Brady led game-winning touchdown drives in their prime.

Williamson faced another problem following his winning run – where to go next with his classy three-year-old Sand Wave.

The pacer made it five consecutive wins when scorching home off a sedate speed to win yesterday’s Southern Supremacy Stakes heat.

The win means Sand Wave is ineligible to compete in further heats of the series which means Williamson has some planning to do to peak the horse for the series final in April.

“He is going great and he is getting better all the time.”

“The only problem now is that we can’t start in another heat.”

“I have tried to support the heats because I want to see them succeed, it’s good for these horses to be able to race their own age group.”

“But it could be to my own detriment with this horse.”

“But I was thinking if we did win today I would give him a freshen up and possibly take him to Addington.”

“His rating will be up in the 70s after today, so if we stay down here he will have to give quite nice older horses a head start in the handicap races.”

Williamson also produced Charlie P to win from his stable during his run of five wins.

The trotter fought hard when challenged in the straight to notch a deserved win.

Charlie P will now head to the spelling paddock in the hope he comes back even better next time in.

“I quite like this horse, he has got all the attributes he needs.”

“He has done a great job, he will go to the paddock now, he has done enough this time in.”

Afterburner, Watchlist and Lincoln Skipper made up the rest of Williamson’s five-win bag.

Williamson will have yesterday’s two-year-old winner Treacherous Gal in his care next week as she prepares for the Fillies Classic at Ascot Park next Saturday.

The Regan Todd trained two-year-old showed she has plenty of weapons in her arsenal when running to an early lead before holding off Take It Out and Micaitlin Denario at the finish to seal a trifecta for sire Captaintreacherous.

Todd will aim the filly at next week’s Group Three feature and then take a patient approach with New Zealand’s big two-year-old fillies’ events in mind.

“She will go to the fillies race next week then she might have a break, it is a massive year ahead for them.”

“She has always been a nice filly, she was a bit worked up today, working with her, but once she got out on the track she had great manners.”

“She has always been a nice filly, it is just going to be a matter of how much she keeps improving.”