"The harder I work the luckier I get."
January 3rd 2010 00:08
Jockey Craig Williams leaves as little to chance as possible.
(photo: Leonard Marlborough)
There are many variables in racing beyond the control of the jockey. The dynamic of any race means that a horse and jockey may be victim to the circumstance of bad luck in many forms.
The jockeys who are successful set aside time to study races as would any professional punter. When there is chance involved it is best to make sure it is as minimal a factor as possible.
Craig Williams is renowned as a ‘track walker’. Before each meeting he walks the track looking for bias - looking for the part of the track with the best going. Sometimes that is right against the inside rail; other times a few horses wide in a ‘fast lane’. And sometimes - most famously - it could be against the outside rail as Williams would insist was the case in May 2009 when he daringly took All Silent to the outside rail as they turned for home in the Group One Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on a heavy track. All Silent - on an unsuitable heavy track - flashed home to run 3rd behind Apache Cat, with Black Piranha 2nd. In 4th place was Sniper’s Bullet. A high quality race indeed.
In an after race interview Williams said:
"If he had been a European-type horse he would have won the race. He was a bit unsure with the outside rail on his lefthand side and he jumped something about the 200 metres. But once he got out he went whoosh. If he had gone straight he wins for sure."
And even a minor Saturday night meeting at Moonee Valley is treated with the same professionalism. As seen in the photographs Williams is inspecting the Moonee Valley track to see if there could be found any advantage.
The track did appear to race very truly at Moonee Valley. But regardless of this (or because of his tireless work) Craig Williams rode another winner on the 8 race program, winning on Cheddington in a 3000m event in race 3 for Michael Kent. In addition he was placed on 4 other rides - missing a place on only one of his rides for the night.
(photo: Leonard Marlborough)
As the saying (by Samuel Goldwyn) goes:
"The harder I work the luckier I get."
Craig Williams inspecting the track at Moonee Valley
(photo: Leonard Marlborough)
There are many variables in racing beyond the control of the jockey. The dynamic of any race means that a horse and jockey may be victim to the circumstance of bad luck in many forms.
The jockeys who are successful set aside time to study races as would any professional punter. When there is chance involved it is best to make sure it is as minimal a factor as possible.
Craig Williams is renowned as a ‘track walker’. Before each meeting he walks the track looking for bias - looking for the part of the track with the best going. Sometimes that is right against the inside rail; other times a few horses wide in a ‘fast lane’. And sometimes - most famously - it could be against the outside rail as Williams would insist was the case in May 2009 when he daringly took All Silent to the outside rail as they turned for home in the Group One Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on a heavy track. All Silent - on an unsuitable heavy track - flashed home to run 3rd behind Apache Cat, with Black Piranha 2nd. In 4th place was Sniper’s Bullet. A high quality race indeed.
In an after race interview Williams said:
"If he had been a European-type horse he would have won the race. He was a bit unsure with the outside rail on his lefthand side and he jumped something about the 200 metres. But once he got out he went whoosh. If he had gone straight he wins for sure."
And even a minor Saturday night meeting at Moonee Valley is treated with the same professionalism. As seen in the photographs Williams is inspecting the Moonee Valley track to see if there could be found any advantage.
The track did appear to race very truly at Moonee Valley. But regardless of this (or because of his tireless work) Craig Williams rode another winner on the 8 race program, winning on Cheddington in a 3000m event in race 3 for Michael Kent. In addition he was placed on 4 other rides - missing a place on only one of his rides for the night.
Cheddington streaking away from his rivals
(photo: Leonard Marlborough)
As the saying (by Samuel Goldwyn) goes:
"The harder I work the luckier I get."
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