Dual-gaited Trainer Chases Group One
- Friday, 03 December 2010 07:15
Grant Williams is hoping to land Saturday's Group One Kingston Town Classic at Ascot with either Ranger or stablemate Tranquility - just six months after he started training for their owners Bob and Sandra Peters.
Williams, a successful WA harness racing trainer, turned his hand to conditioning thoroughbreds two years ago and said Peters had placed "10 or 12" horses in his stable.
"They are both horses on the way up and we are hoping," Williams said of the lightly-raced four-year-olds.
Ranger missed a run as an emergency in the Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 20 but fell in by a short-half-head at $1.50 to win a 1600m restricted event on the same day.
The lightly-raced Testa Rossa gelding has won two and placed in another five of his nine starts.
Only three starts back, Ranger broke through to win a 1303m maiden at Pinjarra before running a head second to God Has Spoken in the race named after his owner, the Group R J Peters Stakes (1500m) at Ascot.
Redoute's Choice mare Tranquility has won two and finished runner-up in three of eight starts and snuck into the field.
After winning a restricted 1200m race at Ascot when resuming on November 13, she was a 1-1/2 length second to Premardal in the Jungle Dawn Classic (1500m), the winner equalling a state record.
William Pike, fresh from his longshot win aboard Hadabeclorka in the Group Two Winterbottom Stakes, will ride Ranger while Alan Kennedy will pilot Tranquility.
"Willie had the pick of the two, but Ranger was always going to run in this race whereas it was sort of an afterthought with Tranquility because we didn't think she was going to get in but she did," Williams said.
"She's a very nice horse as well but the stable thought he (Pike) might stick with Ranger.
Williams said both horses were on their way to starts in the Group Two Perth Cup (2400m) on New Year's Day.
He said Ranger would go to the Group Two C B Cox Stakes (2100m) on December 18, while Tranquility would go through a mares race on her way to the Perth Cup.
Neville Parnham has a strong hand in the race with three-year-old Playing God and his four-year-old brother God Has Spoken who could give the 12-time Perth premiership winning trainer his first Group One success.
Group Two WA Guineas winner Playing God, who also scored a stunning victory in last Saturday's Listed Aquanita Stakes (1800m) at Ascot, has been backed from $4.60 into $3.90 favouritism with TAB Sportsbet.
Railway Stakes runner-up Famous Roman is at $7, Impressive Jeuney at $8.50, Trusting at $9, Colour Correct at $9.50 and God Has Spoken at $10.
Ranger is at $11 with Tranquility at $16.
