Lloyd Williams has paid trainer Chris Waller the highest compliment for his handling of Winx
Australian Racing Hall Of Fame inductee Lloyd Williams has paid trainer Chris Waller the highest compliment for his handling of champion mare Winx.
Five-time Melbourne Cup-winning owner Williams and dual Cox Plate winner Winx were two of 11 new inductees into the Hall Of Fame announced on Wednesday.
Williams said it was appropriate Winx, unbeaten at her past 17 starts, joined the Hall of Fame while still racing but added Waller should have been inducted at the same time.
“When you think at May 30 of her three-year-old career, when just about to turn four, that was her first Group One win,” Williams told Melbourne radio RSN927.
“Chris has taken her from that stage into a champion.
“It says something of how good a trainer he is.”
Williams described his first Melbourne Cup victory with Just A Dash in 1982 as probably his most significant because of his association with TJ Smith.
He first met the legendary trainer in the 1960s and said it changed his life as far as racing was concerned.
“He probably mentored me into doing what I’m doing now in a private operation,” he said.
Williams nominated Efficient as the best horse among his five Cup winners but limited because he was unsound while he had the most confidence in Green Moon before his 2012 Cup success.
“In my punting days he is one I probably would have made start favourite,” he said.
Williams described Mahogany as the most versatile of his horses with his two Derby wins and two Lightning Stakes.
He was also narrowly beaten in a Cox Plate, one race Williams has yet to win.
“Poor old Zipping, he ran seconds and thirds in it and I can’t believe Fawkner didn’t win when Aidan O’Brien’s horse Adelaide got up and beat him,” Williams said.
“You have to be very fortunate in racing.”
