Top Victorian jockey Craig Williams has won races around the world but it took an out-of-form seven-year-old to deliver him his first victory at Warwick Farm.
Williams, who has enjoyed stints riding in Hong Kong, England and Japan during his successful career, had only had a handful of race rides at the western Sydney track, none of them winners.
In Sydney to partner some of Patinack Farm trainer John Thompson’s spring hopefuls, Williams picked up the mount on the Leanne Aspros-trained Theophorus and helped that gelding break an almost three-year drought from the winner’s circle with an all-the-way victory in Saturday’s Good Luck Daniel Geale Hcp (1400m).
“I’ve ridden in plenty of trials here but in terms of race days, this might be my third here,” Williams said.
“I haven’t even gone close (to winning a race) here in the past.”
The win by Theophorus was just reward for Aspros who has done plenty of work to get him to the races after taking over his training at the beginning of his current campaign.
Aspros has a niche team of five in work but is kept busy doing pre-training for Warwick Farm horseman Guy Walter.
“It’s just great because a lot of work has been done with this horse and I’m over the moon for his owners,” Aspros said.
“A lot of jockeys have said he doesn’t like it heavy but there was no speed today and it was a great ride by Craig.”
Theophorus ($17) dictated from the front and showed good fight to hold on and score by three-quarters of a length over Key West ($4.80) with New Zealander Zara Dancer ($15) a head away third.
AAP TURF
