"Few things coming together" for Stonewall Stud

By Jonny Turner 

The man in the hottest seat in harness racing kept Stonewall Stud’s stunning form rolling at Addington on Friday night.

Seeing Tim Williams wearing blue and white chequers in the winner’s circle has been a very familiar sight recently, and it was on show four more times.

The combination of Williams and trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer scored with Slots, Christies Art, Cheer The Captain, and Akatea.

Williams is an integral part of Stonewall Stud’s South Island operation, and after the team’s four victories, the reinsman wasn’t keen to take too much credit for Stonewall Stud’s results. 

But it is clear for harness racing fans to see that Williams is giving the southern Stonewall squad their winning chances.

Instead, Williams prefers to credit a number of factors.

“It helps when you know you are driving horses that are ready to go out and do a job.”

“I think the results lately are down to a few things coming together.”

“A lot of them are different horses and for one reason or another they’re in the right form at this time of year.”

“Christies Art came south for a bit of a change of scenery, she’s been getting better as she’s gone along and now she feels like the penny has dropped.”

“Some of our three-year-olds have taken on the better ones and then been put aside.”

“They’ve come back in and they’re probably just running to the early potential they’ve shown.”

Williams feels one vital aspect of Stonewall Stud’s recent South Island results is the time they’ve had to settle into their outstanding Weedons facility.

“Brett Gray actually said to me it would probably take us a year to settle into the place and figure everything out.”

“It really feels like Mandy has the preparation of the horses down pat – she’s set the expectation around what we need to be doing at home for the horses to be at their best at the races.”

“It is an unreal property and Stocky (Steve Stockman) has planned out every inch of it.”

“It is great that we are able to repay his faith in us and the huge investment he has made in the property and the horses.”

While they are running hot now, the Stonewall Stud team would undoubtedly love to be in the same form during the spring.

There are plenty of young horses in the South Island barn that the team hopes can make their mark once winter is over.

“We have a couple of two-year-old fillies we like that are just about ready to go.”

“Obviously Allamericanplayer is exciting, but we will also have Sonofamistry coming back too.”

“He has been in work for a month, now.”

“We have a full brother to Akatea who Mandy likes, he trialled behind Fugitive before being put aside.”

“So, hopefully our two-year-old team will be pretty decent by the spring time.”

Four wins at Addington on Friday night and another at Alexandra Park took the Steve and Amanda Telfer stable to the lead in the national trainers premiership, with 72 wins.