No rest for five win Williams

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk

Even after bagging five winners at Blenheim yesterday there was no big celebration for Tim Williams.

Instead he jumped in a car and headed four hours south to Christchurch.

“Saturday’s always a big day for fast work …. And we fast worked four this morning.”

After completing his commitments for trainer Hayden Cullen, now that he’s taken over the All Stars operation from Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, it was back on the road this afternoon for Williams for the second day of the Marlborough Harness Racing Club’s meeting tomorrow.

As for yesterday, he says he knew he had a good book of drives – “I thought I could get a couple of wins, but some had tricky draws and you never know on the grass track, but I was lucky enough to get five and it was a dream day at the office.”

The day started perfectly alright with two wins for trainer Paul Kerr (Greenbank Betty and Duffy Hollow) and then Ashes To Ashes won race 6, Peraki Seelster race 7 and I Dream Of Jeannie took out the last, at 18-to-one, despite galloping over the line.

“That was an unusual win but the rules are there, it was a bit different to win like that but we got the chocolates so that was good.”

One of the country’s premier drivers, Williams has had 542 winners since his first in 2008, though yesterday’s “fifer” is not his best result. At Winton on October 19 2014 he won six races, with Margarita, Fly Like An Eagle, Rockahula Arden, Ode To Success, Oneover and Dark Dana.

That day there were only nine races held, with the three other winners all going to Nathan Williamson.

There have been a slew of big race successes as well, with Williams a critical part of the All Stars operation and associated with the very best horses – the likes of Have Faith In Me, Dream About Me, Lazarus and Piccadilly Princess.

He’s unsure how Purdon and Rasmussen’s decision to take a year’s break from full-time training will impact on him.

“It’s a bit of the unknown, but if I get the chance to drive the very good ones, the Self Assureds I’d be keen.”

Williams was third in the 2020 New Zealand Cup with Ashley Locaz, completing an All Stars trifecta with Self Assured and Spankem. It was his second third placing in the big race, with Dream About Me third in the 2018 edition won by stablemate Thefixer.

Just how things pan out under Hayden Cullen’s tenure remains to be seen, with Williams’ immediate focus on seven drives at Blenheim tomorrow, including three first-day winners who will back up (Greenback Betty, Duffy Hollow and Peraki Seelster).

“I just hope I haven’t used up all my good luck.”