Addington Double for Williamson

Bruce Stewart Journalist

Despite Branxholme trainer Nathan Williamson clocking up the travel miles over the past couple of months, he’s not complaining about the arduous schedule.

It’s all been worth the effort with a good number of wins in the bag, and with another two added last night at Addington, the tally continues to grow

“You have them in good condition and you hope the breaks go their way. I was real pleased with all of them,” he said after trotters Andy Hall and Chinese Whisper both won impressively.

Nathan Williamson – Photo – Race Images

Giant trotter Andy Hall certainly has a liking for the big Addington track and from a wide draw he was eased back early before jumping onto his stablemate Kiwitrix’s back to progress forward three wide . With a lap to run he was caught out three wide by himself before sitting parked with Kiwitrix at the front of the field. Son of Patrick came up on the inside, but in a grinding finish Andy Hall hung on to win by a neck.

“I had to go forward with him and he stuck it out pretty tough.”

Andy Hall trotting to victory – Photo – Race Images

It was the Andover Hall gelding’s fifth win and third at Addington.

Kiwitrix was just over a length and a half from his stablemate in fourth place.

“He’ll improve more than the others because he improves with racing. He’ll come on with that run and I’m sure he’ll race well next week.”

Williamson also gained satisfaction with the run of Son Of Patrick whom he bred but subsequently sold. He has a two year old half-brother by Majestic Son in work.

“We like him too. It looks as though he’ll make the grade.”

Earlier in the night Chinese Whisper announced he’s very much a metropolitan horse when he beat favourite Oscar Bonavena.

“He didn’t trot all that well over the early part of the race. It was probably because he hasn’t had a lot of short distance racing. It wasn’t until we got down to the winning post that he relaxed and got into a nice rhythm.”

Halfway down the straight Oscar Bonavena was a length and a half in front of Chinese Whisper but the Sundon gelding finished with plenty of purpose to win by two and a half lengths.

“I thought when Oscar Bonovena, who is a very fast horse, was out ahead that I couldn’t pick him up but I did. I was pleasantly surprised.”

Chinese Whisper winning at Addington – Photo – Race Images

It was Chinese Whisper’s eighth win in just fourteen starts, in only his third season of racing. He’s owned by Williamson’s wife Katie and stable farrier Brendon Franks.

In the $90,000 Group One Easter Cup the Williamson runner Pembrook Playboy was a very creditable fourth in a small but high end field of pacers.

After a good beginning Williamson took the Bettor’s Delight gelding straight to the top.

“I thought over two miles at Addington I was reluctant to go for all the way tactics especially at this stage of his career.”

Amazing Dream and Self Assured both took turns at leading which put Pembrook Playboy back in the running line.

“I did expect to end up three back on the fence. I was hoping we’d get out a little bit sooner than we did. He hit the line really well. It was a great run. It was his first run over that distance. If I’d been one off and got to go when I wanted to it could have been a different result. He’s in very good form and hopefully he can measure up to the very very best come November.”

Pembrook Playboy finishing third in the Easter Cup – Photo – Race Images

Williamson says Pembrook Playboy has become well adjusted to the constant demands of travelling away from home.

“This time is the best he’s travelled away from home. He’s settled in at Dad’s really good and Ollie (stable hand Ollie Kite) is up there looking after him. He’s eating up and it’s his home away from home.”

The four year old entire will race next on Friday night at Addington in the Superstars Four and Five Year Old Pace worth $50,000.

Kiwitrix will also race again this week as well as Andy Hall, while Chinese Whisper will head home and be set for a race on Diamonds Day at the beginning of May.

Williamson’s star three year old colt Ragazzo Mach will also head north in readiness for the Group One $200,000 Diamond Creek Farm Derby over 2600 metres. He last raced in the Vero Flying Stakes where he over raced, finishing eleventh.

“I blame myself a little bit. I think I got his training a little bit wrong. He’d had a bit of travelling so I backed off his training. In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do. He was a bit fresh and underdone and secondly I put the half blinds on him to help him sharpen a little bit.”

Williamson will transport the horse north to Oamaru tomorrow.

“Going forward there’s no harm done and we’re hoping for a good draw on Tuesday.”

Williamson says the plan is to keep the horse in the south for the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes and the Harness Jewels at the end of the season.

“He’ll travel over to Western Australia after the Jewels which makes sense as the climate will be a wee bit cooler.”

The Williamson stable is in great form at the moment with thirty six wins on the board. It’s highly likely the stable record number of wins in a season (42 in 2015) will well and truly be broken.

At Wyndham on Thursday quality trotting mare Sekkie Monkey returned to winning form and Williamson is confident she’s turned a corner.

Sekkie Monkey easily winning at Wyndham on Thursday

“She was hanging and breaking and not trotting nice. She had a hoof abscess burst out and I wondered it that had been festering for a while. Once that happened she wasn’t hanging the same. I also made a shoeing change. She trotted smooth and clean at Wyndham. She’s a really good mare on her day. If she was in good form I had contemplated going to Christchurch with her. We’ll just keep her ticking away down here and see what transpires.”

As of today the Oamaru Harness Racing Club have joined the Southern Harness Bureau.

The Southern Bureau now has 11 member clubs (Invercargill HRC, Winton HRC, Wyndham HRC, Gore HRC, Northern Southland TC, Wairio TC, Riverton TC, Central Otago TC, Roxburgh TC, Tuapeka HRC and the Oamaru HRC).  We look forward to working with the Club President David Ovens and the committee to understand the club workings better and assist them moving forward.

The race programming for the Oamaru Meetings will be undertaken by the Southern Harness Programming Committee which consists of Jason Broad, Geoff Knight, Clark Barron, Nathan Williamson and Brett Gray.

Southern Harness would like to acknowledge the long service of the late John Mudie who was the Oamaru Secretary from 1994 to 2016 and his daughter Jemma Barltrop who has been the club Secretary from 2016 until now.  Southern Harness already had a good working relationship with Jemma in our role compiling race fields for the club, her assistance with the smooth changeover has been appreciated.

Future enquires for the Oamaru Club can be directed to the Southern Harness Office, (03) 2179117, Email: admin@southernharness.co.nz or to the Club President David Ovens 0274 819424.