Williams focused on another premiership
Craig Williams is dedicating his time to winning his eighth Melbourne jockeys’ premiership.
Leading jockey Craig Williams will continue pushing to the end of the season chasing an eighth Melbourne jockeys’ premiership.
A treble at Mornington on Monday has Williams on 70 winners for the season, a healthy 15-win advantage over 10-time champion Damien Oliver.
Mark Zahra is third on 41 just ahead of Dwayne Dunn.
Oliver and Zahra each rode a winner on Monday while Dunn is currently on holidays.
Williams doesn’t see the premiership race as being over and will ride through until the finish of the season at the end of July while Oliver is planning a break in coming weeks.
“I’m here for the rest of the season. It’s exciting to chase another premiership,” Williams said.
“My holidays won’t be until the first part of the new season.
“There won’t be any more interstate trips, no overseas trips, I’ll be riding in town and the country as well.
“I need a break and everyone in my team needs a well-deserved break as we’ve been working really hard to get to where we are now this season.”
Williams said a lot of work had gone into finding his three winners at Mornington which he said was traditionally a tough meeting.
The victories came for three different trainers, all from the Cranbourne area where Williams grew up, including one for his uncle Doug Harrison.
While his lead over Oliver looks unassailable, Williams says nothing can be taken for granted in sport.
“It’s not over until it’s over and I think all sports history books show us that,” Williams said.
“From Le Bron’s team in the NBA when they won from an impossible position in the championship to Tiger Woods’ comeback, anything in sport is not over until you go past the post.
“Ice skater Steven Bradbury certainly showed us that.”
Speed skater Bradbury was the last man standing and the gold medallist in his event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.