Craig Williams has started a seven meeting suspension but it doesn’t mean he’ll be in for an easy week.
While the four-time Melbourne premiership winner won’t ride competitively over the next few days because of a careless riding suspension, he will be doing plenty of work ahead of Saturday’s Caulfield meeting.
Williams is already booked to ride Volkstok’n’barrell in the Group One Underwood Stakes and Stratum Star in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
He has also picked up the ride on Sydney sprinter Craftiness in an 1100m handicap.
Williams’ week began with a trip to Ballarat on Sunday to partner Fontiton in a trial and he heads to an important set of trials at Cranbourne on Monday.
On Tuesday morning he will be at Caulfield to partner Volkstok’n’barrell in a gallop.
He also has an engagement with his charity, Variety – The Children’s Charity – on Thursday morning.
The enforced holiday will give Williams a little more family time but the suspension also allows him to start his preparation for Saturday’s races a little earlier.
“Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after the fields come out I’ll be getting into the office, working and looking forward to getting back into the saddle,” Williams said.
Williams said it was important to structure his time leading into the spring.
With the night racing season coming up he says he will have an extra meeting to do homework for and recover from before a Saturday meeting.
“It doesn’t stop,” he said.
“All it means this week is that I don’t have to do homework for Wednesday and Friday night as well as competing.”
The enforced ban will allow him to head to Werribee to check out his Caulfield and Melbourne Cups mount Hokko Brave who arrived in Melbourne on Saturday night with fellow Japanese horse Fame Game.
“I’ve got time now,” Williams said.
“I don’t have to worry about getting caught in that traffic coming home from Werribee.
