Fresh from his maiden metropolitan winner, Chris Williams will be out for victory in the Narromine Diggers Cup on Sunday.
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Now apprenticed to Kim Waugh after previously learning under Peter Nestor at Dubbo, Williams scored his first city win when riding Ever So Natural to victory at Kensington on Wednesday.
Tracey Bartley, Ever So Natural’s trainer, said it’s only upwards for Williams after that winner and the young hoop will be hoping for more success at Narromine’s Anzac-themed meeting.
“It was perfect, absolutely perfect,” Bartley said of the win on Wednesday.
“He (Ever So Natural) didn’t want much further but it was a good ride. The kid is riding well and is listening and it’s all upwards for him.”
In Sunday’s main event, the $20,000 Narromine USMC Diggers Cup (1300m), Williams will ride Joey’s Destiny for Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm.
Joey’s Destiny is coming off a fourth-placed finish in the Country Championships Qualifier at Dubbo and that is where he has finished in each of his three starts this preparation.
He was handed 56kg and that is offset more by Williams’ 1.5kg claim, meaning the gelding will carry much less than he has in recent starts.
He’s one of the top chances in the feature, however there is class elsewhere in the event.
Champion hoop Greg Ryan will ride Barricade for Scone trainer Peter Bloomfield while Max Crockett’s Richard The First and Choice Larga from the Damien Lane stables at Wyong will go from barriers 12 and two respectively.
Lundholm’s fellow Dubbo trainer Justin Stanley has three shots at success with Coming In Hot, Party Bag, and Incision, who ran fourth in the Country Championships Qualifier, all set to line up.
Jar Of Hearts, previously trained at Mudgee by Cameron Crockett and now based at Canberra with Rob Potter, is also in the cup and will go from barrier four with Mathew Cahill in the saddle.
There will also be interest around the Narromine USMC Light Horseman Class 3 Handicap (1100m), with Dubbo galloper Kenny Succeed, trained by Kody Nestor, taking on Lane’s Rastafarian and the Jan Bowe-trained Trades Hall.
The entire meeting features a strong mix of trainers from the local area and further afield.
The seven-race meeting starts at 1.38pm with the Diggers Cup at 4.33pm.