Sandown racetrack doesn’t often find itself in the Group racing spotlight, but jockey Craig Williams might wish for more opportunities there after a dominant performance on Saturday’s Carlyon Stakes race day.
Melbourne’s leading rider showcased his prowess at the meeting, which was relocated from the under-construction Moonee Valley, securing four victories. His triumphs included the day’s feature Group 3 event aboard Cavalry Girl, trained by Tom Dabernig.
Williams boasts a history of success at Sandown, notably winning the Group 1 Underwood Stakes on Zaaki. However, he doesn’t frequently compete in feature races at the track these days, making his return to winning ways particularly gratifying.
“We’ve been lucky that Sandown can take the weight (of transferred meetings) and it’s great to see plenty of people here and have a good day,” Williams commented.
He achieved a winning treble on Cavalry Girl, having previously guided Final Moment to victory for Clayton Douglas, and earlier saluted with Buggsy, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
His initial win of the day came aboard Nearco Frod, prepared by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, extending the gelding’s winning streak to four races in the 2400m contest.
The 1000m Carlyon Stakes saw Williams partner Cavalry Girl once more. Previously, Todd Pannell and Linda Meech had guided the mare to decisive wins in her last two outings.
On Saturday, the four-year-old daughter of Bivouac had to employ a different strategy. Held back behind Beast Mode until the final 200 metres, she then produced an impressive surge through a narrow opening along the inside rail.
The $2.30 favourite secured a half-length victory over Bazaball Rewarded ($10), with Losesomewinmore ($7.50) finishing a length further back in third. Punters who consulted the best horse racing betting apps saw the favourite justify the strong market support.
Williams indicated that Cavalry Girl’s ability to overcome challenges demonstrated her significant improvement this preparation. He endorsed her as a contender for the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), to be held back at Sandown on September 5.
“She’s ticked another box coming here and being successful at Sandown, which may give Tom a good option in two weeks,” Williams stated. “She would definitely be putting her hand up very high in a Moir this year.”
Following her performance on Saturday, Cavalry Girl advanced to $4.50 on the second line of betting for the Moir Stakes, trailing only the speedy filly Natural Fling ($3.50).
If you’re looking to back a winner, consider the Australian betting sites for the upcoming Moir Stakes.
