Racing: Move north has borne fruit

Natuzzi showed his class by finishing best to win the Concorde Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo / Trish Dunell

It's probably a silly question to ask Peter and Dawn Williams whether they have ever had a regret in moving from Christchurch to Auckland, especially after their four winners represented half the card at Ellerslie on Saturday.

The same could be said for their training partner former Wingatui horseman Paul Richards, another to make the move from the south.

Well, there was a short period after the move when the Williams went through a bare patch, probably after having fired all the shots with the small number of horses they moved north with them. Now, with a whole new bunch of northern owners and loyal South Islanders, they are firing.

"We had to move to avoid all the travelling down south and, let's face it, the money is up here," said Peter Williams after taking the stable's seasonal strike rate even further up the ladder on Saturday.

The highly successful three-way team won the opener with Marciano and Peter Williams had a few pre-race words of advice for rider Mark Du Plessis: "Drop back, ride him as cold as you can and don't go around them, look for inside gaps in the closing stages".

It was game over when Du Plessis followed the script perfectly.

Williams had the same advice for Vinnie Colgan when he legged him on to veteran sprinter Natuzzi for the $70,000 J.A. Russell Concorde. Same result late in the race.

But when it came to maidener Night's Watch, probably the most interesting runner at Ellerslie, Williams reversed the tactics.

Night's Watch, a classy type by High Chapparal stallion Redwood, was on debut and looks a staying type. Saturday's 1200m will eventually be too short for him and he will head to the Vodafone Derby, but dropping out and looking for inside gaps in the home straight would be a wrong move with a green 3-year-old, so Williams said: "He's a big strider so give him plenty of room ".

Du Plessis did just that after Night's Watch was awkwardly away and the sprint he turned on in the home straight after covering significant extra ground suggests he will go right to the top.

Night's Watch was bred by NZ Thoroughbred Holdings and its principal, Australian billionaire retailer Gerry Harvey. After Night's Watch had impressed in his barrier trials a percentage was purchased by OTI and its principals, Melbourne businessman Terry Henderson and former Australian test crickets Simon O'Donnell. Auckland's John Hart also has a share.

The 3-year-old was entered to run over 1400m at Counties last week.

"But I scratched him because I thought I would give him a real look around Ellerslie with a useful crowd looking on. It will be good experience going forward towards the Derby."

Terry Henderson and Simon O'Donnell were not at Ellerslie. Henderson was in France, but woke in the middle of the night to watch Night's Watch and two races later, Romancer win the Schneider Electric Mufhasa 3YO Stakes. OTI bought into Romancer from the Logan/Gibbs stable this year and race him with, among others, Jim and Ann Gibbs.

Donna Logan admitted to having been a fraction concerned when Romancer did not appear to work at his best when galloping between races with Volkstok'n'barrell at Ellerslie a couple of week back.

"But I suppose it was asking a lot of him, given the other horse's class and he came home from the 600m in better than 34."

There was more concern when Romancer returned a below-par blood test early last week, but progressed as the week wore on and was back to his best by Friday. Royal Mojito looked good in closing well for second behind Romancer. "He's very raw and he can only get better with experience," said co-owner and trainer Nigel Tiley.

There is an exciting bunch of 3-year-olds emerging. One of them is the Darci Brahma filly Devise, who scored stylishly at Trentham on Saturday, after a picture perfect Brendan Hutton ride. It was just her third appearance and trainer Shaune Ritchie predicts a bright future for her.

"She is a half sister to Zurella, who is probably the best horse I've trained and I don't think we saw the absolute best of her. Zurella was beaten a nose in the Oaks at Trentham and that's where this filly will head.

"It may not be a normal progression to take on a $30,000 special conditions at Wellington, rather than the Eulogy Stakes, but I wanted her to have a good look around Trentham without having to come down here in the heat of the January Cup meeting. We can sit back and relax now and pick our way to Oaks.

"I know the Darci Bramas can run 2400m because it was a Darci filly that beat Zurella."

Feeling right at home

• Peter and Dawn Williams with Paul Richards won four races at Ellerslie on Saturday.
• One of the quartet, Night's Watch, could be a NZ Derby Prospect.
• Veteran sprinter Natuzzi looms as a Railway Stakes chance after saluting in the Concorde.