Above right: Berwick jockey Noel Callow brings Show Barry back to scale after almost stealing the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup on Saturday.By Brad Kingsbury
CHAMPION jockey Craig Williams added the W.S. Cox Plate to his long list of honours on Saturday with a superb ride on sentimental favourite Fields Of Omagh in the weight-for-age classic.
The win provided one of the greatest thrills in racing for Craig’s Cranbourne-based parents Allan and Glenda, who were at Moonee Valley to witness their son’s triumph.
After Craig had completed his riding commitments, he joined his parents and extended family including brothers Damien and Jason – both registered Cranbourne trainers – in a celebration at a Melbourne restaurant.
Craig returned from an extended riding stint in Asia early last year and has made his mark as one of the best hoops in the country, winning the Melbourne metropolitan jockey’s premiership and also the Scobie Breasley Medal last season.
Allan said the family was thrilled with Craig’s win and praised his efforts to achieve success.
“We tried to teach all our kids the right way to go about things and the way Craig has really strived to be the best he could is a great credit to him,” Allan said.
“When he was overseas he looked up the best jockeys and people in racing and learned from them and just did everything he could to be the best he could.
“I’m proud of all my boys and the way they go about their work with the horses.”
Craig is one of the most sought-after jockeys and is admired for his attention to detail and professionalism.
He is the preferred rider of the huge David Hayes stable and made the most of the opportunity to ride Fields Of Omagh, which started as a $19 outsider but should have had a lot more respect, according to Allan.
“I can’t believe so many people dismissed him,” he said.
“He finished one length behind an absolute legend in Makybe Diva last year and there wasn’t many in the race that could have done that.
“I thought he had a great chance,” he said.
Allan and his sons have 24 horses in their stable and Craig still gets home to ride for his family when he can.
Fellow Cranbourne trainer Greg Eurell’s stable star Apache Cat finished a gallant seventh in the feature race after working across from barrier 12 and leading the crack field of weight-for-age gallopers until the 200-metre mark.
The four-year-old gelding was just over four lengths behind the race winner, proving he was right up to the top grade and earning a $110,000 cheque for connections.
Colin Alderson’s promising young horse Flash Trick flew the Cranbourne flag with a win in the Group 2 Jayco Crystal Mile on the day.
The lightly raced four-year-old started at the juicy price of $26 but finished stronger than his 13 rivals in the $175,000 race, nosing out New Edge and Rockford Bay in a blanket finish.
Alderson also saddled fifth-placed Cargo Cult in the race, but the talented miler got too far back in running, and, despite a big finish, was out of contention for a place on the home turn.
Cargo Cult will now head to the Emirates Stakes on 11 November.
Two Cranbourne-trained horses started in the Moonee Valley Cup with vastly different fortunes.
Show Barry, trained by John Rattle, was ridden on pace by Berwick jockey Noel Callow and almost saluted, going down by a neck to favourite Zipping, while Steve Theodore’s stayer Count Ricardo compounded in the straight to finish last of the 15-horse field.
Count Ricardo pulled up well and will continue on towards a Melbourne Cup start next Tuesday.
