THE on-foot map-making of jockey Craig Williams will be under the spotlight before riding Melbourne filly Ortensia in the QTC Cup at Eagle Farm today, following his way-out tactics on All Silent last Saturday,writes Max Presnell in the Sydney Morning Herald.Presnell says: Williams announced on Thursday he would handle All Silent in next Saturday's group 1 Stradbroke in preference to Ortensia.Queensland stewards questioned Williams about his performance on All Silent in the Doomben 10,000 after h
THE on-foot map-making of jockey Craig Williams will be under the spotlight before riding Melbourne filly Ortensia in the QTC Cup at Eagle Farm today, following his way-out tactics on All Silent last Saturday,writes Max Presnell in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Presnell says: Williams announced on Thursday he would handle All Silent in next Saturday's group 1 Stradbroke in preference to Ortensia.
Queensland stewards questioned Williams about his performance on All Silent in the Doomben 10,000 after he ended the race near the outside fence. The jockey told them he had walked the track earlier, and found the ground much faster wide in the straight. He felt that but for a couple of problems during the running, All Silent would have won instead of going down by around 1ยข lengths in third place.
The stewards only "recorded" his explanation in comparison to "accepting" trainer Grahame Begg's. Perhaps the major problem with Williams from the stipes' point of view was he didn't tell them of the ploy before the race.
No doubt he will again walk the improving Eagle Farm track this morning, as will Damien Oliver (Mr Baritone) with the "divining rod" he uses to find the firmer ground.