Tag Archive for: Stuart Williams

Williams eyeing further American targets for Pandora’s Gift

/in /by

Pandora’s Gift may be set for more American adventures after being narrowly denied in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes at the weekend.

Stuart Williams’ Churchill filly set sail for the United States to contest the Grade Two in Erie, Pennsylvania, after an encouraging third-placed run in the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes at Naas in late August.

The three-year-old had three all-weather victories to her name earlier in the year, including the Listed Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes, meaning she was no stranger to a synthetic surface prior to making the journey.

Under Ben Curtis, she ran a brave race at Presque Isle Downs to take up the lead after the turn for home, only to be just pipped at the post by the fast-finishing Roses For Debra.

Despite the marginal loss, Williams was proud of the effort and should the bay take her exertions well, there may be more to come from her transatlantic sojourn.

“I was delighted with the way that she ran, I thought it was a really brave effort,” he said.

“A couple of things didn’t quite go how we anticipated throughout the race but we were still really pleased with her, the winner broke the track record and we were only a neck behind her.

“There are a couple of races we could aim for out there, obviously we’re going to see how she is in the next few days and how she trains.

“Then we will decide whether we want to run in those races, they’re at Keeneland and Aqueduct and at Grade Three and Two level, stakes races.

“The prize money is a lot better than she could be running for here and the ground’s gone for her here too, she really wants fast ground so that was the plan with going out to America, to get her on a quick surface.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Williams eyeing international options for Hopeful hero Quinault

/in /by

Quinault could be set for international competition after notching a second successive Listed win in the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket.

Stuart Williams’ four-year-old has now won nine times in his 18-race career and having excelled last season is finally finding his feet this term, showing his toughness to follow up his Queensferry Stakes victory earlier this month.

He could step up to both seven furlongs and Group Two level at Doncaster next month after striking at odds of 100-30 in the hands of Marco Ghiani, but his handler is tempted to take the son of Oasis Dream overseas.

“He’s amazing and I don’t think he liked the ground out there, he’s just tough and tries very hard,” said Williams.

“He’s a legend, an absolute star. He’s won here before and he’s won on the Rowley Mile as well but I don’t think it makes any difference. He’s won round Chester and he’s won on the all-weather and even at Brighton one day.”

On future plans, Williams added: “I’ve put him in the Park Stakes at Doncaster but whether we go there or not, I don’t know, I’ll speak to the owner.

“I would love to travel this horse as he is so laid back and I’m sure he would do well in that scenario. He goes well on any ground and seven furlongs on a turning track would be right up his street.”

Brian looked a cut above when scorching clear of the opposition to win the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes.

Third to Bedtime Story in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, Sylvester Kirk’s 11-4 chance has some smart form to his name and came home four and a quarter lengths clear of 15-8 favourite Li Ban to tee-up a trip to France later in the autumn.

Brian slammed his rivals at Newmarket
Brian slammed his rivals at Newmarket (Adam Morgan/PA)

Kirk said: “It’s a nice payday and it’s good to have a race like that for a cheap horse, he’s done it well.

“His form was probably the best of them and he loved the ground, so it was all very good. It was good to soft when he won at Newbury but I felt it was closer to good ground and he’s not very big, so you just worried because they are not finishing very quickly out there today and he’s not so big.

“He ran well in the Listed race (Pat Eddery Stakes, at Ascot) and third in the Chesham, albeit Aidan O’Brien’s won 10 lengths. But the rest of his form is good and he was second to Cool Hoof Luke on his second start at Chelmsford, so he’s been beaten a neck by a Gimcrack winner.

“Maybe we will step him into a black-type race in France, the owners are mad-keen to go out there because he’s a fun horse. He didn’t cost a lot and he’s gone above expectations.

“He’s not in the other sales race and it would have been nice to have him in, but we will have a look through the races in France and the ground might now actually suit him out there. He’s 93-rated and that’s probably where he is, he might be a few pounds better, but it’s exciting.”

Andrea Atzeni was a winner during his brief UK visit
Andrea Atzeni was a winner during his brief UK visit (Adam Morgan/PA)

Tom Clover’s Invictus Gold built on his maiden success at Southwell to claim the scalp of the well-regarded Wathnan Racing-owned youngster Evening Saigon in the Jenningsbet British EBF Novice Stakes.

Meanwhile, there was a familiar face in the winner’s enclosure after the Bet With Jenningsbet Nationwide Handicap as Andrea Atzeni warmed up for his return to Hong Kong when partnering Richard Spencer’s Run Boy Run to victory.

Atzeni said: “It’s been great being back and I was really looking forward to coming back here for 10 days before my next stint in Hong Kong.

“I’ll be back in Hong Kong next Saturday and I will be straight back in the swing of it, so I was very keen to get the ball rolling before I went back, riding some work, training and lucky enough to get a few rides this weekend so it’s been brilliant.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Pandora’s Gift primed for tough turf debut against Vandeek at Haydock

/in /by

Stuart Williams’ all-weather star Pandora’s Gift will transition to turf for the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

The three-year-old has only been beaten once in five starts, finishing second on her racecourse debut at Chelmsford and then beginning a four-race winning streak.

Striking on return to Chelmsford and then at both Southwell and Lingfield, the daughter of Churchill subsequently headed back to Essex earlier this month to step up in grade when contesting the Listed Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes over her usual six furlongs.

She readily stepped up to the mark again, prevailing by two and a half lengths to gain black type and pave her way to loftier targets throughout the season.

The first of those is likely to be the Sandy Lane, a Group Two sprint that will be the filly’s first encounter with a straight track and a grass surface.

Pre-race discussions and the betting market are both likely to be dominated by Simon and Ed Crisford’s Vandeek, undefeated and twice a Group One winner at two when landing the Prix Morny and the Middle Park.

The grey will carry a penalty as a result, though, and Pandora’s Gift will benefit from that, along with her fillies’ allowance, but Willliams is under no illusions as to how stiff a task she has been set on her turf debut.

“I’m very happy with her and she’s worked really nicely on the grass,” the trainer said.

“Obviously, it’s a big jump up from what she’s been doing on the all-weather, it’s her first run on the grass and also her first run in a straight line – she’s always run round a bend before – so there are a lot of unknowns for us.

“But there weren’t many options to go for this month, so we thought we’d roll the dice at Haydock.

“I doubt we’ll be beating Vandeek if he turns up, but I’ll be delighted if she can run into a place.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

‘Absolutely brilliant’ Quinault heading for Ascot Challenge

/in /by

Stuart Williams’ winning machine Quinault is taking aim at the Howden Challenge Cup in a bid for a remarkable eighth success of the season.

The three-year-old has been a hero for connections this year, being beaten only once in his last eight starts in a superb campaign that has seen him climb through the ranks from a class six event to heritage handicaps.

His rating has risen with him as he started the year on a mark of 59 and now runs off a rating of 102, with 5lb-claimer Luke Catton set to ride again as Quinault tackles the same course and distance he encountered when taking the bet365 handicap last time out.

On that occasion he defeated a good horse in Ed Walker’s Popmaster, a subsequent Listed winner in the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury and therefore a favourable addition to the Quinault form line.

Williams said of the gelding: “He’s in great form, he’s got an entry at Ascot on Saturday and the plan is at the moment is that he’ll take up that entry.

“I was over the moon with him last time, he’s been a superstar for us this year.

“Whatever he does now from here on out this year is just a bonus, he’s been absolutely brilliant.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Quinault team eyeing Shergar Cup for seven-timer bid

/in /by

Quinault could bid to extend his remarkable winning sequence to seven at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday.

Having begun the season with a basement rating of just 59, the Stuart Williams-trained three-year-old has rattled off six successive victories, seeing his mark rise to a much loftier perch of 97.

Mill Stream, who was beaten a nose by Quinault in a valuable sprint handicap at Newmarket’s July meeting, gave the form a significant boost with a dominant Listed success in France on Sunday.

Williams though is looking at another handicap for his fast-improving speedster and views Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint as a suitable target.

“I’ve been very happy with him since the July meeting, he’s been training well,” he said.

“I’ve just entered him for the Shergar Cup on Saturday in the six-furlong race for three-year-olds only. Hopefully that will be his next port of call.”

With jockeys in the Shergar Cup team competition allocated by a series of ballots, Williams will have no say in who rides Quinault in Berkshire.

Stuart Williams with Quinault at Newmarket
Stuart Williams with Quinault at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

But with world-class riders like Frankie Dettori, Olivier Peslier, Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle among those set to be in action, the Newmarket-based trainer is not overly concerned.

He added: “They’ve got some top-class jockeys, so you’d be hopeful that whoever rides him will be able to ride him fine. He’s not a difficult ride on the racecourse.

“He’s obviously surprised us – you wouldn’t have said at the start of the season he’d have a rating pushing 100 at this stage of the year.

“He hasn’t run on anything softer than good ground, but it’s usually fairly good on the straight course at Ascot unless it rains on the day and it’s supposed to be dry towards the end of the week so I can’t see it being a problem.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns