Brad gets his 500

Fourteen years after his first win, Oamaru horseman Brad Williamson drove his five hundredth winner at Gore today.

His first winner was on the same track in August 2011 when he won on Graceandtemika for trainers Geoff and Jude Knight.

“Unfortunately they’re not in the game anymore. They did a lot for all the Williamson boys, and we all had plenty of winners for them. Matty obviously had the majority of those winners. They were good to let me drive for them and I appreciated it then and I appreciate it now. It’s a big thrill to get my first and 500^th wins at Gore,” Williamson said after driving Aint No Angel to win in Race Two.

AINT NO ANGEL REPLAY

Aside from driving his own horses to win, Brad has driven 184 for his father Phil and 65 for Alister Black.

“Alister and the Thomson boys (Lindsay and Ian) have been big supporters, so a big thanks goes to them and Mum and Dad.” 

The best horses he’s driven based on wins are Majestic Man 18, Father Christmas 11, Pyramid Monarch 9, Alderbeck 9 and Vintage Cheddar 9.

In all, Williamson has driven 19 Group or Listed winners in both Australia and New Zealand – 10 partnering Majestic Man.

“The Group Ones are the hardest to win.”

His three Group One winning drives have been in Australia driving Majestic Man, in The Dullard Trotters Cup, Equine Mile and Trotting Grand Prix.

“To get three with Majestic Man would have to be a career highlight. He went over there and had six races all at Group One level for three wins and three placings.”

Due to Covid restrictions during that campaign, Brad was also in charge of the gelding’s training.

“It was a big responsibility, but dealing with an older horse that I’d had a lot to do with at home made it a lot easier.”

His best season was 2016 which was his last as a junior driver. He drove 70 winners and won the New Zealand Junior Drivers Premiership.

“You can’t win it without the support of a lot of trainers and the majority of my support and help outside Mum And Dad have come from southerners.”

Asked if it was a tough step up from being a well sought after junior to becoming a senior driver, Williamson said “It was, but it would have been a lot harder had I not had the association with Alister Black in my last year or two as a junior. Matt (brother Matty) going out on his own training also gave me the opportunity to driver more of Dad’s.”

In terms of bragging rights, Matty took 4,383 drives to reach his 500, Nathan 4,475 and Brad 4,817.

Meanwhile some fresh faces horses qualified at Gore today.

Off The Canvas, Palladium and Schaiky Shard all gained their qualifying ticket.

Off The Canvas won the heat by a neck from Palladium. Both are trained by Nathan Williamson. The Kirk Larsen trained Schaiky Shard was eight and three quarter lengths back in third.

The winning time of 2-48.0 was well inside the 2-55.3 qualifying time.

Off The Canvas, raced by the TAB Club, is by Art Major out of Triple Sec. He’s a full brother to Action Major, the winner of four and a half-brother to Justasec (37), Our Triple Play (17) and Brittney Jane (17).

Palladium is a Bettor’s Delight two year old colt out of Platinum, a three win Art Major daughter of De Lovely, the winner of fifteen races. He’s owned by Mick Boots.

Schaiky Shard is a Bettor’s Delight three year old gelding out of Shards Echo who’s a half-sister to Smiling Shard, Pemberton Shard and Mach Shard.

Schaiky Shard is raced by Debbie and Mark Smith.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink