Phil Williamson has hand to play in Sires’ Stake trot

The Phil Williamson trained Atlantic City (Volstead) faces the biggest challenge in her short harness racing career when she fronts up against the unbeaten Habibti Pat (Father Patrick) in tomorrow’s $120,000 Group One IRT Sires’ Stakes Two Year Old Trotters Championship at Addington.

The pair have met once already, with Habibti Pat beating Atlantic City by a length and a half at the end of September.

Atlantic City has gone on to win her next two starts while Habibti Pat was given a short spell and hasn’t raced since.

Atlantic City has drawn wide at seven with Habibti Pat on her outside.

“I guess they’ll come forward. I would say they’ll be quicker out than the ones inside, but you don’t really know with baby races. It’s a bit hard to predict what’s going to happen early. She’s (Atlantic City) just drawn a bit wide for me to say she’s a good chance. It’s very hard to do it at both ends. Her best chance would have been to get a nice draw and mooch out and get over the top of them but that’s not going to happen from that draw,” Williamson said.

Tarrgindi (Majestic Son) is another runner for the stable. He’ll start in the juvenile trotting feature and has drawn handier at six. He got within half a neck of his stablemate on debut.

“He’ll make his own mind up. You’ve sort of got to go with whatever he wants to do. If he decides to come out hard he will and if he settles he (driver Matthew Williamson) will slot him in. As long as he’s trotting when they say go, I’ll be happy.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink