Championships opening day over for Craig Williams
FOLLOWING his fall on the ill-fated The Gold Trail at Mornington on Saturday, champion jockey Craig Williams will miss the first day of The Championships.
Williams was taken to hospital following the fall in the Mornington Cup, but escaped serious injury. Due to his mild concussion, however, Williams will be forced to sit on the sidelines and miss Randwick this Saturday.
His brother Jason Williams released a statement from Frankston Hospital on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s good news. There’s no structural damage but he’ll have to have the mandatory one-week off and he still has a mild concussion,” Williams said.
“He’ll have a cognitive test next Monday and that will decide when he comes back.”
Williams hit the ground hard and was immediately knocked out before regaining consciousness quickly.
“By the time I got to him he was lucid. His first thoughts when he came to was about the horse. He suffered a serious concussion,” Williams said.
“Craig wanted to thank the on-course paramedics and the medical staff at the Frankston Hospital. He also expressed sorrow for James Ferguson and Godolphin with the loss of The Gold Trail.”
Williams will miss an outstanding book of rides this Saturday, which included Tivaci in the T.J. Smith Stakes, Tosen Stardom in the Doncaster Mile and last start winner Big Duke in the Chairman’s Stakes.
Tosen Stardom is currently a $26 chance at Sportsbet in the Doncaster Mile following its last start defeat behind stablemate Palentino.
The market has been largely dominated by the Sydney-based Le Romain ($6.50), Mccreey ($9) and Hauraki ($9), but Victorian representative Hey Doc looks a great chance for value punters at $15.
McEvoy wanting dry track for Hey Doc
Hey Doc has been in good form this preparation and punters should be confident going into this Saturday’s Doncaster Handicap.
The Tony McEvoy-trained runner is currently $15 at Ladbrokes.com.au and McEvoy is hoping the track dries out nicely before the feature.
“I was very happy with what he did on Saturday and he will arrive in Sydney ready to go later in the week,” McEvoy said. “He is a bit on the fresh side but has raced well like that in the past.
“I would prefer the race to be run on top of the ground because that is when he is at his best, but he has won on a soft track earlier in his career.
“I think he has got into the race with the good weight at 51kg. It was the plan to target this race after the Guineas and he has certainly gone to another level this time in.”
Hey Doc won the Australian Guineas at its last start, almost a month ago, but it won the Bill Stutt Stakes with a month in between runs in the spring and it won’t worry the gelding coming into the Doncaster.
“He didn’t need another run after the Guineas and it has been good to watch the form stand up from it in the past couple of weeks,” McEvoy said.
Shane Nichols will send Sunline Stakes winner I Am A Star to the Doncaster Handicap and jockey Dean Yendall will stay in the saddle, but Nichols will be monitoring the conditions.
“It looks good until Thursday. We wouldn’t want to run her on a heavy track,” Nichols said. “There are other options.
“When you look at the weights, she is pretty close to some of the boys, but we think she is up to a race like the Doncaster.
“The run on Friday took nothing out of her and on top of the ground I think she is up with the best milers around.”
I Am A Star is currently a $15 chance at Sportsbet.com.au.
Godolphin with three possible Doncaster runners
Godolphin could have three runners in the Doncaster Handicap with recent winner Spectroscope possibly the most promising of the lot.
European import Spectroscope is unbeaten in two Australian starts and John O’Shea is prepared to give it a chance at the big time considering the weight scale.
“It is very hard to quantify how good Spectroscope is going to be, he could be a weight-for-age horse in the spring, and he is down in the Doncaster weights with only about 51kg and I’d like to give him a chance in a $3 million race,” O’Shea said.
Along with Hauraki and Ajax Stakes winner It’s Somewhat, Godolphin has a strong winning case and it could be Spectroscope to lead the charge.
“It has always been our intention to run Hauraki and It’s Somewhat in the Doncaster but I have a feeling Spectroscope is an unknown quantity and is on the upward spiral.
“He is a horse of the future.”
O’Shea believes the European runners are well-placed for Australian racing, which makes them major winning chances during The Championships.
“We do a lot to help our horses in Australia, we go out of our way to help them to feel good,” O’Shea said.
“Plus there is a significant drop in grade here and they are pitched in well at the handicaps when they first come to our stables.”
2017 Doncaster Handicap market
Le Romain – $6.50
Mccreery – $9
Hauraki – $9
Redkirk Warrior – $10
Spectroscope – $11 at CrownBet.com.au
Happy Clapper – $12
Antonio Giuseppe – $15
I Am A Star – $15
Hey Doc – $15
Palentino – $17
Endless Drama – $17
Man From Uncle – $26
Tosen Stardom – $26
Ecuador – $31
It’s Somewhat – $34
Foxplay – $51
Heavens Above – $51
Dixie Blossoms – $51
Danish Twist – $51
Dibayani – $51
For a full Doncaster Mile betting market head to Sportsbet.com.au*