Empire strikes back

Master trotting trainer Phil Williamson never gave up on Empire City (Volstead) and she rewarded his faith in her with a good win in the $40,000 G3 Pryde’s Easifeed Southern Lights at Ascot Park today.

It was the multiple Group winning mare’s first win since September 2024 when she took out the G2 Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Classique.

“You never give up because when they’ve got that class, it’s permanent,” Williamson said.

He added that the five year old mare’s work at home indicated she was returning to form. However the trackwork wasn’t converting into race day form.

“There’s just been little things going wrong. At her last start Brent Barclay drove her (at Cromwell) and told me he hadn’t had a horse feel so nice for a long time. That gave me confidence that it was going to happen and it did today.”

He says the transition between racing as a two year old to a three year old is massive.

“She got up to an 80 rating and that’s where she was left high and dry by a lot of nice horses. You’re racing the open graders and they’re brutal.”

With Princess Sadie and Jimmy Carter making most of the play today, driver Kerryn Tomlinson tucked Empire City away on the inside running line and close to the line she burst up the inside to win by half a length from favourite Princess Sadie.

EMPIRE CITY REPLAY

The win was Tomlinson’s first Listed or Group win.

“It was a great drive from Kerryn. She does a lot of work for Brad but gives us a hand when we need it. I couldn’t be happier for her to get a nice race.”

At the end of the 2700 metre feature Empire City had a half a length winning margin over favourite Princess Sadie.

The winning time was 3-27.5. It was the sixth time Williamson has won the Northern Southland Trotting Club feature. His other winners have been Springbank Sam (2015), Monty Python (2017), Majestic Man (2019), Love N The Port (2023) and Jimmy Carter (2024).

Williamson says Empire City’s future could be racing in Auckland.

“She goes good up there and her owners are up there. The Argus’s have been great to have a horse with. There are perhaps a lot more elite horses down here than there are in the north.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink