No pressure Phil!

Phil Williamson admitted to feeling a bit of pressure yesterday when he drove first starter and hot favourite Davey Mac at Invercargill.

"Yeah I did a wee bit. With a $1.32 favourite you've got to take luck out of the equation and you have to drive in a manner that doesn't open you up for criticism. I'd like to drive him from in behind down the track because that's when you'll see what he can really do," he said after the royally bred trotter won at Ascot Park by a length.   

"Yes he won well. He would have run around again." 

Williamson is rarely seen in a driving role these days with sons Matthew and Brad driving the majority of the Oamaru team. But driving a horse named after the South's commentator Dave McDonald had special significance.

"I'd done all the work with him just for a start. Whether I drive him again we'll wait and see. I wanted to drive him especially for Davey Mac because he's commentated more winners for me than anyone else. We actually rang him and asked him if we could use his name and he said it would be an honour."

The Sundon gelding has been a 'talk' horse for a while and his debut was eagerly awaited. Williamson says he had no worries once the five year old was underway.   

"I couldn't see him making a mistake because he's got good manners. The only thing I was concerned about was controlling his emotions. He can be a little bit on and off and when he's on he can tend to over-race. But it's just experience and he hasn't had much of it. I was delighted with him today being so calm and collected. He just strolled around in a slow time and thought he was out there on a Sunday stroll."

Williamson now says its just a matter of racing him so he can get more ringcraft. 

"He's always had a good horses ability. He's a really big horse who has just taken time. We should be able to progress a bit with a bit of luck." 

Dave McDonald, (a tidy sprinter back in the day), showed a good turn of foot, sprinting down from the commentary tower to get his photo taken in the birdcage. 

"I'm thrilled for Dave because he's been keeping an eye out for him for such a long time. He was just hoping he wasn't a dud. You don't want Davey Mac running around for his fortieth start for no wins." 

Davey Mac was bred and is owned by Williamson's wife Bev and is out of a four win Britwell mare Little Contessa; she's been a star broodmare for Bev leaving Group One winner Irish Whisper, Maori Invasion the winner of three races and Heard The Whisper which won six.

Little Contessa was loaned to son Nathan for one breeding season and he has a two year old full brother to Davey Mac in his stable. 

"He's a lot smaller. More in the mould of a young type horse. I'd say you might see him running down here as a two or three year old. We had him at home for a good while. I did a bit of handling with him and really liked him so I was a bit sad I had to give him to Nathan."

And a final word on Davey Mac – "He's got that nice gait and good speed so we think he'll keep progressing." 

Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing