by Richard Birch
The pandemic cut everybody’s campaign short in the spring but Evan Williams counts himself a lucky man to be training for a living in the Welsh countryside and you certainly will not hear him moaning about a tally of 49 winners, including a Grade 1 novice chase for Esprit Du Large – the kind of success meaning a whole lot to a yard like his.
„We always like to get the 50 up but there was plenty of the season left to go when everything stopped, so I don’t think we can have too many complaints,“ he says.
„The highlight has to be the great half-hour at Sandown with Esprit Du Large winning the Henry VIII and Mack The Man winning the Listed hurdle. You need days like that to keep the show on the road.“
„We’ve been low on summer horses in recent times but we always try to have 80 horses for the winter and we’ve managed that again. We’re never very fancy with bumper horses but we have a few nice youngsters coming through, a few good older horses who’ll pay their way, a few nice novice chasers.“
„The reality is that with a yard like ours we find a decent horse anywhere we can and we like to have a bit of everything.“
Stable Profile
Yard Fingerpost
Farm, Llancarfan, Vale Of Glamorgan
Assistant trainer Eleanor Williams
Office managers Catherine Williams and William Willliams
Travelling head grooms David Burchell and Christian Hamner
Jockey Adam Wedge
Conditionals Conor Ring and Isabel Williams
Office managers Cath Williams and William Williams
Number of horses 80
Number of staff 26
Started training 2002
Total prize-money 2019-20 £636,569
Website evanwilliamsracing.co.uk
Twitter @EWilliamsRacing
Winners in Britain
2019-20 49
2018-19 53
2017-18 52
2016-17 51
Profit/loss to £1 stake
2019-20 -£105.34
2018-19 -£134.82
2017-18 -£144.49
2016-17 -£157.01
Prize-money 2019-20
£636,569
Rival to watch
I think Nigel Twiston-Davies will magic something from somewhere and we’ll all wonder where it came from but we’ll all be delighted.
Race in focus
It would be lovely to finally have a Welsh Grand National winner. A horse like Present Value could be the type when he starts to get his act together and you don’t know how Annsam is going to develop over fences.
Horses:
| A | B | C | E | F | G | M | O | P | Q | S | T |
Annsam
Five-year-old gelding Black Sam Bellamy (sire) – Bathwick Annie (dam)
Owner: Wayne Clifford
Form: 3/16511-
Racing Post Rating: 128 (hurdle)
Official rating: 127 (hurdle)
A big, raw horse who has been progressing well over hurdles but I think a fence will bring out the best in him. He’ll have hotter contests to compete in now that his mark has risen but he has the physical size to cope.
Dark horse
Arcade Attraction
6g Arcadio – Tobetall
Border Pointers and Feilim O’Muiri
87P8P-1
RPR 108c OR 105c
A big, gangly so-and-so for a long time but came back in much stronger. Although the race he won at Ffos Las was a poor one, for the first time in his life he looked to be enjoying the game. He could start going forward now he’s got his head in front.
Ballinsker
5g Court Cave – Brownie Points
GG Thoroughbreds XII and Partner
14-2
RPR 129h OR 130h
Ran all right first time up and I think there might be a decent race in him off 10st. I’ll probably keep him at two miles for the time being but what he ideally wants is 20 runners and a proper gallop on ground that’s not too deep.
Bold Plan
6g Jeremy – Kings Orchid
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
12/01FP-
RPR 140h OR 138h
A tricky one to get right but he’s a topping little horse with the ability to quicken. He’s schooled well enough at home for us to send him chasing this year and he’s still got plenty of zip about him. Soft ground would be fine but not as testing as it was at Sandown on his last run.
Caswell Bay
5g Fame And Glory – Lauderdale
David M Williams
1201P-9
RPR 130h OR 125h
There’s no doubt he has ability but he isn’t big enough to jump a fence so I’m not quite sure what to do with him next. He goes well around Chepstow and ran okay there last time after they’d quickened by him turning for home. He’d have more options if I could get him away from Chepstow but for the moment that track on soft ground is what he wants.
Champagne Rhythm
5g Oscar – Before
R E R Williams
2
RPR 113b OR –
He’s not quick, more of a stayer, but he goes well at home, has a good attitude and could be up to winning a bumper. He’s really a nice horse for the future.
Clyne
10g Hernando – Lauderdale
David M Williams
742358-
RPR 155h OR 142h
He’s been a smashing horse but he’s getting slower now and needs a bit of a trip and plenty of cut. I don’t think he truly stays three miles – he just runs well at the distance because he’s very genuine –so we’ll keep him at 2m5f or 2m6f and he’ll win again because he likes winning.
Coconut Splash
5g Stowaway – Presenting Chaos
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
1/2F1-
RPR 129h OR 131h
Never ran a bad race last season, although I only won a Wetherby maiden hurdle with him. He’s schooled nicely so we’ll try to find a novice chase somewhere to start him off quietly.
Coole Cody
9g Dubai Destination – Run For Cover
Wayne Clifford
834P-12
RPR 143c OR 137c
He has real ability when everything clicks. He ran well twice at Newton Abbot at the start of the season but was outstayed over 3m2f the second time. I have a crazy idea he could go well off a light weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. I think that the better the race, the better he’ll run and he’ll be suited by a strong pace. We’ll go to Cheltenham with him in a novice chase beforehand to see how he handles it.
Star quality
Esprit Du Large
6g No Risk At All –Tuffslolyloly
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
10/211F-
RPR 155c OR 154c
Made great strides last year and he’ll always have a Grade 1 win on his CV after winning the Henry VIII Novices‘ Chase at Sandown. I thought he ran a nice race for one with little experience before he fell two out in the Arkle. We’ll sit and wait for the ground, try to get a clear round under his belt to get his confidence up and maybe head for the Haldon Gold Cup [Exeter, November 3] if we get a bit of rain.
Fado Des Brosses
5g Balko – Nanou Des Brosses
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
521-
RPR 123h OR 128h
Irish point winner who showed a good attitude in winning a maiden hurdle on heavy ground at Chepstow. He’s a lovely, strong horse who will go novice chasing this season.
Golden Whisky
7g Flemensfirth – Derry Vale
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
0/P31P2-
RPR 133 OR 125
He blows a bit hot and cold but there’s no doubt he’s got the ability to win more races. He handles plenty of cut and I’d say two and a half miles is his trip, although he could get three at some stage.
Mack The Man
6g Flemensfirth – Nifty Nuala
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
32P/11B-
RPR 134h OR 131h
He’s developed into a good, tough horse and was running a big race in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury before he got brought down. We’ll wait for a bit of cut before starting out on a novice chase campaign. We’ve schooled him over fences already and he’s looked good.
Olympic Honour
4g Olympic Glory – Shamah
R Abbott and M Stavrou
3U21-0
RPR 110h OR 118h
Ran with the choke out at Chepstow last time, but he’ll come right at some stage. He’s only small and will be better off with a light weight but he’ll find a little race and you wouldn’t offend him whatever ground you ran him on.
Only The Bold
5g Jeremy – Cloghoge Lady
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
U1- (point-to-point)
RPR 93p OR –
A point-to-point winner in Ireland who looks more of a hurdles type. There’s plenty to like about the way he does things.
Pobbles Bay
10g Oscar – Rose De Beaufai
David M Williams
1/24863-
RPR 147c OR 130c
He’s had a problem with his knee down the years but he’s still won some nice races and retains plenty of ability. He’ll go to Aintree for a veterans‘ chase with a view to getting him qualified for the final at Sandown in January.
Present Value
6g Gold Well – Presenting Shares
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
213/24F
RPR 131c OR 128c
Was progressing nicely before he turned upside-down when running a nice race at Newbury. He’ll only just be coming to himself in the next 18 months, so we’ll try to get his confidence going again and I get the impression there’s plenty of ability there.
Prime Venture
9g Primary – Next Venture
Mrs Janet Davies
9/44F2P-
RPR 142c OR 134c
Ran a great race in the Welsh National last year but has still never won over fences and I don’t know how that is. Maybe we’ll try him in calmer waters and try to get his head in front somewhere, then possibly have another crack at the Welsh National. I can’t help thinking we haven’t got much room to play with off his current mark.
Quoi De Neuf
6g Anzillero – Qualite Controlee
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
42/24B0-
RPR 134h OR 133h
His runs last year in two decent handicap hurdles were very good and I’m going to send him chasing now. He can win plenty of chases if I get him enjoying his fences.
Secret Reprieve
6g Flemensfirth – Oscar’s Reprieve
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
515/522-
RPR 132c OR 130c
He’s been brought along quietly, is strong and only just coming to himself. I wonder if he could end up running in a nice handicap one day at the foot of the weights. He had a touch of sore shins and it will be interesting to see how he goes on his reappearance, but I don’t think he’s a bad horse.
Star quality
Silver Streak
7g Dark Angel – Happy Talk
Owner: L Fell
Form figures: 5/1326-1
RPR 157 OR 158
His two runs at Kempton last year were very good and he ran well in the Fighting Fifth on very deep ground but we were beaten fair and square in the Champion Hurdle. We tried to go chasing but that’s never going to work for him, so we were delighted with his impressive win back at Kempton at the weekend. He’s only seven and I’m convinced there’s a Grade 1 in him, so we’ll campaign him like a Grade 1 horse and look at the Fighting Fifth or the Christmas Hurdle again, although on the right ground we may look at a Grade 2 in between. Realistically his chances of winning at the top level are greatest before the spring, but I’m hoping for a fast-ground Champion Hurdle because he’s lethal on a quick surface.
Star Gate
4g Imperial Monarch – Supreme Judge
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
1- (point-to-point)
RPR 91p OR –
Lovely Irish point winner who really could be anything. I’ll start him off in a novice hurdle and we’ll see how he progresses.
State Crown
3g New Approach – Patroness
Six Franks
3-35 (f)
RPR 79f OR 78f
A bonny ex-Godolphin horse who didn’t win on the Flat but enjoys schooling and could give us some fun in juvenile hurdles round the smaller tracks. He was a bit gassy but he’s been gelded and seems to have taken to the job.
The Last Day
8g Oscar – The Last Bank
Mr and Mrs William Rucker
F221/14-
RPR 143c OR 141c
Very impressive first time up at Aintree last season but then made a horrendous early mistake at Ascot before running on well. I’ve always thought of him as a Grand Annual horse but he needs a bit of cut, so we’ll keep an eye out for a good 2m handicap chase in the right conditions.
Two for the tracker
Coconut Splash is a novice chaser with a bright future and Quoi De Neuf did nothing wrong getting beaten in good races last year.
Expert analysis
Evan Williams is jump racing’s Mr Consistency. He always sends out around 50 winners, competes regularly at the top table, and also expertly places his less talented runners to best advantage over the course of a campaign.
His fortunes last season were aided by stable jockey Adam Wedge riding out of his skin throughout the winter and they remain a partnership to keep firmly on side.
I’ve been genuinely excited about Annsam since he bolted up in a handicap hurdle at Catterick in January off a mark of 118, and he’s right at the top of my horses to follow list for 2020-21.
The five-year-old won that race despite pulling hard in the early stages and, with just seven races under his belt, he possesses abundant scope for improvement.
It’s interesting to hear he’ll be going over fences this season as I genuinely thought he could win a valuable handicap hurdle over 2m4f at a Grade 1 track before Christmas.
He boasts ‚big improver‘ potential, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was rated around 140 by the end of the campaign.
Ludlow has long been a rich source of winners for Williams, and his runners must always be respected there.
