Matty out to make his mark

Oamaru horseman Matty Williamson has certainly made his mark in the New Zealand harness racing driving ranks having driven more than eleven hundred winners. But his career ambitions don’t end there, as he has his sights firmly set on success as a trainer as well.

Williamson is a born and bred North Otago boy with his father Phil and mother Bev having run a very successful stable in Oamaru for the past thirty years.

Matty was educated at Waitaki Boys High School.

“I wasn’t a scholar. I always say when the horses don’t go that well, that they probably tried as hard as I did at school,” he said.

Matty didn’t expect to be training so early in his career, but in the five seasons that he’s had his own establishment at the Oamaru Raceway he’s geared up forty winners.

“It came along a bit quicker than I thought with Geoff and Jude Knight finishing. They had horses that needed to go somewhere. They suggested me and I ended getting a few that way.”

Matty’s first winner was Flossie, (Shadow Play) at Ascot Park Invercargill in June of 2020.

“We bred her. Dad got sent her mother from the North Island. We tried her but she wasn’t very good. She had a bit of breeding so I put her to Shadow Play and got Flossie. She was actually born on Cup Day. I got my suit on in the morning, went to drive out the gate and there was a foal in the paddock.”

Williamson realised early on that he wasn’t going to be handed young stock and that at least initially he would be training horses that had come from other barns.

“A lot of Geoff and Jude’s owners have come over to my stable and have pretty much had horses the whole way through. There have been lots of people I’ve known over the years who have sent me horses too.”

One of his successes is Boarding Call (American Ideal) which has won eight races for the stable.

“She was a Gavelhouse purchase off Stonewall Stud. She was a big horse that’s taken a bit of time. She goes up and down the rating and is competitive in the right grades.”

Vinchetto (Vincent) is a promising maiden pacer who’s run a second and a third in his three starts. Williamson also has a bit of time for Flying Bird (Bettor’s Delight). She’s had five starts for three seconds and a third for owners Kevin and Pat Court.

“She’s only a wee girl who’s been a bit weak, but she’s got a bit of speed. She’s still spelling but I expect her to be a really sharp maiden this time in. That was one of the good things about Forbury Park (track) shutting down, getting Kevin and Pat’s breed.”

Young trotter Majestix (Majestic Son) also looks to have a future. Her maiden win was by six lengths, and she should return to the racetrack as a stronger proposition.

Williamson had success early on with the mare Von Art (Art Major). She’d won once for Ross and Chris Wilson before Williamson won another four races with her.

“She had a lot of ability and had a good heart, but it was a matter of just getting her to apply herself. She did a nice job for us and has gone on to do a phenomenal job in Australia.”

Since being in Australia Von Art has won another eight races (in a row) from just fourteen starts.

Williamson says he appreciates the support he receives from National Amateur Driving Champion Barry White and his partner Terria McKay and adds that Oamaru has a strong harness racing family.

“Oamaru isn’t the biggest town but a lot of people follow the game. Everyone helps each other and Steve Allen is a huge help. He does a lot of feeding up for me when I’m away. The Latimer family do a bit for us too.”

Williamson also has two full time workers in Brooke Fodie and Alanna Oldham.

“She’s (Brooke) been driving at the trials. She’ll go through the junior ranks and hopefully that’ll go well for her, while Alanna is just learning to drive and has been with us for six months. We’ve trying to suck both of them in with shares in horses in the stable (laughter).”

Brooke has a share in Jordon Anne (Pegasus Spur) and Alanna is part of the ownership of Granny Rose (The Pres).

Matty and his wife Charlotte has three young children, Sadie (4), Leila (1), and Carter (3 months) and Williamson says it’s a bit easier fitting in the family life when you run your own business.

“It’s good for my young family. Being your own boss, you can dictate the hours you work.”

Charlotte, an accomplished horsewoman in her own right, has driven twenty one winners and is still registered as a junior driver.

“She does miss it and loves doing it, but it’ll be up to her to decide what she does. I don’t think she’ll come back to it in the near future.”

He says Charlotte has her hands full looking after the family and looking after the stable paperwork.

“Anything that involves the brain, she’s the main one that does it all. She organises me, which is a big job.”

Williamson says there’s no shortage of horses and the couple have set up a number of syndicates.

“We’ve been really lucky. When we’ve put out the feelers to form syndicates they’ve been snapped up pretty quickly.”

Although the older horses have kept the stable ticking over he’s excited about some to the young stock, particularly trotters that are coming along.

“We’ve still got a lot of the older horses at the moment but we’re starting to get two year olds coming through now. We’ll put them through maiden races, they’ll tell us what they’re up to and we could target some of those better two year old trotting fillies races. We won’t be pushing them too hard if they say hey, we need a bit more time.”

Williamson says he likes young trotting filly Lime In A Bottle (Imperial Count). She’s out of the Sundon mare Gina, who has left Clifden Clowers (Thanksgiving) the winner of thirteen races, and Time In A Bottle (Majestic Son) who’s won nine.

“John Mounce (breeder) had a couple of horses he was wondering what to do with, so he leased her to a syndicate (Corona and Lime Syndicate) which we formed. She’s got a lovely gait and a bit of speed so she’s going to be handy.”

Williamson purchased a Muscle Mass filly out of Sun Seeker (CR Commando) for $15,000 at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Sales. Named Princess Sadie, her second dam Solar Fire (Yankee Reb) won fourteen races including the NSW Trotters Derby and the Victoria Trotters Oaks. Solar Fire is the dam of Sheemon (19 wins).

Matty appreciates his sponsors the Oamaru Harness Racing Club, who by offering space and facilities at the racecourse have helped him in getting his training career off the ground.

“The track is great to work on and the grass track when it’s open is a really good thing to use as well. The facilities are good. You can paddock or box train.”

He believes clubs around the country need to support potential young trainers and give them a pathway to get into the sport.

“I think it’s the only way young people can get in. We wouldn’t have got as big as we are if we had to set up our own property. I think it’s a good thing if clubs can support young trainers. Ashburton seems to be getting bigger and bigger.”

Matty says after working at his father’s stable for thirteen years he’s found training on a totally different track hard.

“I had his place worked out and what needed to be done but moving here (Oamaru track) has been a challenge.”

Williamson lives fifteen minutes south of the Oamaru track.

“We’ve got ten acres out there and we lease another couple of blocks for gazing.”

He says he’s received lots of support from his mother and father which is very much appreciated.

“I get to use Dad’s truck a lot to take my horses to the races, but it works the other way too when he may just have one or two in and I take his. Mum and Dad live about a k and a half down the road so they get to see a lot of the kids. We’re really lucky to have them nearby.”

Phil has trained 739 winners in a career that spans three decades and has a knowledge bank that’s definitely worth tapping into.

“He gives it (information) always, if you’re willing to listen (laughter).”

Phil has had a string of quality trotters throughout his career. The next top liner is Rowe Cup winner Love N The Port (Love You) which Matty drove to win in the Group One feature in late May.

“He’s been well looked after all the way through and just continued to build. Morrie (Maurice McKendry) drove him nicely and looked after him. I thought he found the line as good as anything in all those lead up races and he got the run on the big night.”

Williamson says he enjoys the mixture of driving and training.

“When things are going well it’s very easy. That’s the beauty of this game. It’s not easy, but that’s the fun and challenge of it and it makes you enjoy the good days. There are some long hours for sure but when you’re doing what you love you can get through.”

The hours hours were illustrated the other night when Williamson had a horse in the last race at Addington. After travelling home and feeding up he finally got home at 2:30am.

“Madness to some but if you have a good night you get home pretty easily.”

Fifteen of his forty winners have been trotters and he says it’s the gait he prefers.

“It’s more of a refined art and I find it an easy game after working at Dad’s.”

Williamson says he’s received good support from Waikouaiti publican Gerard Cayford.

“He’s been a great supporter with a steady stream of horses in the stable.”

The very successful Griffins Syndicate is also putting horses his way.

“They’ve been super for our family. They’ve left horses for all of us. Hopefully I can do as well as Dad and Nathan with their horses.”

Williamson is training Majestic Lady (What The Hill) for the Syndicate, a half-sister to the group’s star trotter Majestic Man (Majestic Son).

“She’s only a wee tot. She’s well-bred and has got a nice gait. She’s just come back into work so she’ll be looking at qualifying before the end of the year.”

The Syndicate also has a weanling in the care of Williamson. Blarney Stone (Wishing Stone) is out of the Sundon mare Triple A, making him a half-brother to the promising Missile (Trixton).”

Although Matty has some good young stock particularly in the two year old trotting ranks, he’s very aware his father also has talent in the stable, including impressive first start winner Empire City (Volstead).

“Funnily enough I broke her in for him and I was excited about her, and he wasn’t. He does really like her now though and she’s one that’s going to keep stepping up. She’s quite a big filly. It’s a bit worrying for my two fillies.”

I asked Matty about his goals for the next five to ten years.

He replied, “To find a good horse and do a good job for all our owners.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink