Melbourne Cup winning trainer Danny O’Brien is set to be the beneficiary of Lloyd Williams’ decision to sell his private training property Macedon Lodge.
O’Brien will receive a number of the Lloyd and Nick Williams-owned Australian-based stayers to prepare from his Thirteenth Beach property.
Also benefitting will be Anthony Freedman who will take over the training of Group One winner Homesman among a number of other horses.
“It’s horses for courses really,” Nick Williams told RSN927.
“Danny’s obviously got that wonderful beach property down at Thirteenth Beach and we think some of the staying horses will really suit that program.
“Others that we think we suit Anthony better, we’ll send to him.
“The first lot back in work have gone to Anthony last week, only three or four horses, but there’ll be more to follow and some more, including Homesman, will go to him next week.
“We’re splitting them up as to where we think they’ll do best and we’re looking forward to the future with them.”
Williams said horses were spelling and in pre-training at Macedon Lodge and once ready would be shipped off to the trainers.
He said the only change to the racing empire was that the horses would no longer be trained from the one property.
The Williams will continue to source Melbourne Cup runners from Europe and Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien with whom they had success in 2017 with Rekindling.
But Williams said he also hoped to be buying stayers closer to home.
“We would love to be buying horses exclusively in Australia and New Zealand if the breeders were breeding horses that were suitable,” Williams said.
“I think it’s terrific that Danny won the Melbourne Cup this year with a locally bred horse.
“But at this point the local horses, you need to be a freak for them to be competitive over the middle distance to staying trips.
“The tide is turning with the breeding of stayers in this country and I’m hoping in the next three to five years we get to see something like we used to see in New Zealand where you could go over there and buy with confidence.”
