Brad Williamson has left no phone uncalled in his efforts to win tonight’s $300,000 What The Hill Great Southern Star at Tabcorp Park Melton.
Which means, while the Kiwi reinsman may be in uncharted territory in the Group 1 heat-into-final mega night, he has plenty of treasured advice on how to get to the winner’s circle with Majestic Man about 10.30pm.
Williamson drove his first Group 1 winner behind Majestic Man in the TAB V L Dullard Cup last Saturday, and the driver’s looking to add two more by winning both his Great Southern Star heat and final. He is also the caretaker trainer of the speed machine, with his father and regular trainer, Phil, stuck in New Zealand because of COVID travel restrictions.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR TROTSTARS TEAM
As well as ringing Dad for advice on how to back Majestic Man up for his 10.22pm final, just 150 minutes after his heat, Williamson has some serious knowledge to lean on.
He is staying with former countryman Anthony Butt, who won the first Great Southern Star with Vulcan.
His advice was simple.
“I told him to keep the horse moving and make sure he drinks between heats,” Butt said.
Williamson is also close friends with Auckland horseman Josh Dickie, who co-trained and drove Speeding Spur to win the Great Southern Star in the heat and final format.
“I think the run you have in the heat and the final are crucial,” Dickie said. “If you can’t lead in the heat you need to get as easy a run as possible, while in the final you want to be on the marker pegs, because so many horses don’t back up for the second race.
“When we won it with Speeding Spur I was three back on the inner and halfway down the back straight a lot of the horses around me were finished. They didn’t back up.”
(1).png)
Williamson’s research hasn’t stopped there though, having also phoned Dexter Dunn, the Kiwi-born superstar of North American driving, who won the US premiership last season. Heat and final racing is far more prevalent in the US than Australasia.
So, with a head full of knowledge and a horse blessed with gate speed, Williamson will head out for tonight’s second heat wanting to lead, hopeful the fact key rival Tornado Valley hasn’t raced for four months may reduce any bickering about that.
“I don’t think we have to lead, but that is my plan and I am going to go hard at him early,” Williamson said.
Once safely through to the final, Williamson won’t just need to water and walk Majestic Man, but also choose a barrier when his name is selected at the final draw.
If those things don’t happen for Majestic Man it doesn’t mean he can’t win, but if they do, punters who took the $1.60 fixed this week will breathe a lot easier. So will Williamson and his phone-a-friends.
