Goulburn-based trainer Danny Williams has no qualms about backing up Country Classic winner Marsabit at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.
The five-year-old gelding was a surprise winner of last weekend’s $150,000 feature for country-based trainers, opening at $81 before being wound into $41 when they jumped. But the plunge didn’t come from Williams himself.
Speaking with Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday morning, Williams explained that despite not being on, the win was no shock.
“Actually I was (confident),” Williams said.
“Believe it or not I didn’t back him. I went there and I didn’t have any cash on me.
“As trainers do we get that busy, I didn’t get time to get to the Eftpos machine to get any cash out.
“It wasn’t my money, but I was willing to tip anyone that was willing to listen.
“You’ve got to take opportunities when they come, we will run Saturday and back him up.”
Williams, best known fo his heroics with public favourite Shelby Sixtysix, is still enjoying the ride that his Toronado gelding gave him earlier in the year. In the matter of a month the then five-year-old won a Randwick Highway before beating Nature Strip home in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes, and then saluting in the Group 1 Galaxy at Rosehill.
Given the additional coverage his stable star has given Williams, he’s had to adjust to the limelight.
“I couldn’t believe it. Within four weeks all that eventuated,” Williams mused.
“Even now I went out to Warren out west I had a young fellow, he must’ve been 11 or 12 years old, he followed me back to the horse stalls and said ‘How’s Shelby?’ and I said ‘Yeah mate, he’s good’ and I continued to walk.”
“He pulled me up 20 metres further and said ‘Do you mind if I take a selfie?’”
“That’s what this horse has done, it made my day. It’s a reflection on what that horse did for people. He had all the one and two dollar punters on him and it was an amazing ride.”
After having no less than 17 starts this calendar year, punters will now have to wait until next year before they see the return of the ‘people’s champion’.
“It was good to see him run second on cup day but now the weather’s dried up and the tracks have got hard, we’ll give him a break,” Williams said.
“We’ve turned him out, we’ll bring him back for the autumn. He’s done a good job.”