Williams on Group I hunt

BY TIM BARTON

Craig Williams will attempt to ride Group I winners in three countries over the next five days.

The Melbourne jockey, who had a winning double at Moonee Valley on Monday, will partner favourite Heza Karma Karzi in the $1 million Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie today.

He will have two Group I mounts at Flemington on Saturday – Carrara in the A$750,000 Australian Guineas and Littorio in the A$1 million Australian Cup – before flying to Hong Kong to handle Tuscan Spirit in Sunday's NZ$3 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m).

Tuscan Spirit, who began his race career in New Zealand, is trained by John Size. He ran third in the Classic Mile two starts back and sixth in the Derby Trial (1800m) at his last attempt.

Williams will also ride at Bendigo tomorrow and will probably make an appearance at the Cranbourne trials on Friday.

He has been the leading Melbourne jockey for the last four seasons but has made only one previous visit to New Zealand as a rider.

He had six rides at Ellerslie on January 1, 2006, finishing second on Kind Return in the Group II City Of Auckland Cup. Like Heza Karma Karzi, Kind Return was trained by John Sargent.

Williams is a natural lightweight and was one of the obvious options for Heza Karma Karzi, who is on the minimum at 51kg.

Williams has already won Group I races in Australia, England and France, with his northern hemisphere wins coming on Tobougg, the sire of The Pooka.

He had 52 wins when based in England in 2002 and has also won more than 100 races in Hong Kong and had a stint in Dubai.

His major Australian wins include the Cox Plate, Golden Slipper, Victoria Derby, Victoria Oaks, Australian Cup and Sydney Cup.

Williams has good hands, which could be a vital asset today as Heza Karma Karzi is inclined to race keenly.

Heza Karma Karzi, a four-year-old by Choisir, attracted little attention when he tackled the New Zealand Derby at last year's Auckland Cup carnival.

He had finished fifth in the 2009 Waikato Guineas but was at $70 for the Derby and ran last.

He was then spelled and has been a much stronger horse this term.

Though his pedigree might suggest sprinting would be his forte, Heza Karma Karzi has developed into a quality stayer and has won over 2400m at his last two starts.

He is raced by Alistair Sutherland, Tony Timpson and Peter Walker who have also been partners in the Group I winners The Heckler and Fully Fledged.

Walker races horses on a large scale but has still had remarkable success as an owner, winning 17 Group I races, with a dozen different horses.

It is a tally that few trainers, let alone owners, can match, and Walker's first Group I win came in the 1986 Auckland Cup, with Kerry Lane.

His other credits an an owner include the New Zealand Derby, New Zealand Oaks, Railway Handicap, Wellington Cup, Two Thousand Guineas and One Thousand Guineas.

- © Fairfax NZ News