3 minute read
Danny Williams is happy to put the last 12 months behind him and with Leg Work right where Williams wants him ahead of today’s Newhaven Park Country Championships Qualifier at Nowra, things might be about to turn around for the Goulburn based horseman.
"It's been an exceptionally tough year with the passing of Hot 'n' Hazy and we had an I Am Invincible filly out of a Group winning mare that we lost too, which we owned ourselves, only months apart," said Williams.
Williams, however, has never craved sympathy. He prefers to look ahead. Roll up his sleeves. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Right now he has more two-year-olds in his stable than ever before and he is bullish about Leg Work 's chances in today's $150,000 feature.
"I couldn't be happier with him going in and I'm quite upbeat about his chances and not just because he is mine, he matches up really well against a couple of these," he said.
"There doesn't look to be a standout, of course Terry's horse (Art Cadeau) will be hard to beat, but Leg Work has beaten him before.
"His run first up this preparation was very nice, coming around them probably cost him a length and he had plenty of improvement. He has come on well since and had a jump out on Monday. He went as good as I've ever ridden him."
Williams has always been an outstanding judge of his own horses off their track work so punters should not take that last comment lightly.
The testing wet track also plays into Leg Work's hands with the four-year-old gelding excelling on soft and heavy ground.
Last preparation, the son of Shamus Award recorded a dominant win at Wagga on a deteriorating heavy 9 surface before winning a Highway Handicap at Rosehill again on a heavy track, which is when he brushed past Art Cadeau.
"He has come up really well, normally after a handful of starts he gets a bit dour so this has been a plan second up," said Williams.
"I'm not too deterred by the wide gate either, he gets back and invariably when it's wet they come out wide, he just needs a bit of luck as he is capable of picking them up pretty quickly."