West Australians Grant and Alana Williams will be out to raid the Caulfield coffers with a quintet of runners, including two Group One Memsie Stakes contenders and a pair of Golden Eagle hopefuls.
The husband and wife training partners prepare the quality string raced by prominent Perth owner-breeder Bob Peters, who sent his best horses to eastern state trainers last spring but made the decision to keep them under the care of Team Williams this year.
All-Star Mile winner Regal Power and brilliant mare Arcadia Queen will take the next step in their respective spring campaigns in Saturday’s Memsie Stakes (1400m).
Both resumed in the P B Lawrence Stakes with Arcadia Queen a good fifth and Regal Power ninth after racing wide.
Arcadia Queen is on the third line of Memsie betting as a $7 chance but Grant Williams expects both horses to continue to improve deeper into their campaigns.
“You can make a case for both of them that they will run better, and definitely on what they’ve done over the last couple of weeks, I’m expecting them to run better,” Williams said.
“But they’ve got to be at their peak for mid to late October so anything they’re doing now they will definitely improve on.”
Williams said he had a slight leaning to Arcadia Queen as his top Memsie Stakes contender but was concerned about her awkward draw in 13 while Regal Power fared better with gate nine.
Windstorm will chase his fourth win in succession in Saturday’s Evergreen Turf Handicap (1100m) after missing a run last week when several races at Moonee Valley were washed out.
Australian Guineas and All-Star Mile runner-up Superstorm tackles The Heath 1100 Stakes (1100m) and Williams reports he has been working well ahead of his return.
Williams says Windstorm and Superstorm remain in contention for the $7.5 million Golden Eagle in Sydney in October, pending the further easing of travel restrictions.
“I think that’s still the plan but I still think things have to change before we go,” Williams said.
Perfect Jewel rounds out the Williams team in the Cockram Stakes and is also expected to run boldly despite the 1200 metre journey being short of her best distance.
