Matty has key book of drives

By Jonny Turner

The man with the golden cap has a golden book of drives at Winton on Thursday.

Matthew Williamson combines with plenty of the horsepower on an 11 race card, including two of the three runners starting from his own stable.

Among them is last season’s smart two-year-old Minnie McGoogan who returns for her first start of the year.

The three-year-old chased home higher graded trotters in a recent trial at Oamaru and her progress since then has Williamson confident ahead of her return in race 6.

“Minnie McGoogan is having her first run back, she had a trial the other day which I was happy with.”

“She has come on since that trial.”

“She is generally a good beginner and I think she will be really hard to beat.”

Williamson combines with the Tony Stratford trained Spirit Of Arion in race 5.

The two-year-old was a smart trial winner at Ascot Park last week and he looks set for a big debut.

“Spirit Of Arion has been trialling well and he will be hard to beat first up, you would imagine.”

“It is hard for a two-year-old first up over 2400m against older, seasoned horses but he does look like he has got a bit of class.”

“It is going to be good to get a feel of him.”

Williamson puts on the purple and white hoops of the Graeme Anderson and Mike Love stable in race 7.

Though their runner Gotta Elect Bill is stuck out in barrier 3 on the second row the reinsman isn’t concerned.

“He is going really good, I think he will be super hard to beat.”

“He hasn’t got any gate speed, so the second row draw won’t worry him.”

Williamson reunites with Better’s Tart in Thursday Southern Belle Speed Speed Series heat.

After a cracking second behind Darling Me at Wyndham in another heat, the Brent White trained mare looks a big winning hope.

“She went super in her last start, she run into a very good mare that was too good for us last time.”

“But they went 1.51 and she ran home in 26sec and she didn’t lose any ground.”

“She won’t have to go any better than that to be hard to beat.”

Celtic Abbey (race 2) and Sir Lancelot (race 4) both look eachway chances for Williamson but face tricky draws.

The reinsman also combines with So Art I (race 3), Granny Rose (race 9), Proviseur (race 10) and Tintoretto (race 11).

The trainer also starts Jordan Anne, who will be driven by Kerryn Tomlinson in race 6.