Multiple stakes winner Williamsburg will be racing for two new owners when he kicks off his latest campaign in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick.
Two five per cent shares in the Snitzel colt were auctioned online this week, each selling for $95,000 to Chris Lawlor of International Animal Health and prominent owner Merv Wood, who has raced the likes of Ellsberg and Peltzer with Williamsburg’s trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou.
While co-trainer Ryan doesn’t expect the new connections to reap an immediate dividend on Saturday, he does believe Williamsburg can repay their investment during the autumn.
“He has always raced as if he was going to get better as he got older and he has come back bigger and stronger,” Ryan said.
“I thought his trial the other day was solid enough, he was good through the line.
“The 1200-metres is too short for him, but he will be finding the line.”
A dual Listed winner over 1600m, Williamsburg will use Saturday’s Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) as a springboard into the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) two weeks later.
His next start in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 4 will be a campaign-defining race, as it is for many three-year-olds, with Ryan keeping an open mind on whether his road forks to the Doncaster Mile or he steps up in journey to the Rosehill Guineas (2000m).
Williamsburg was fifth to Sharp ‘N’ Smart at his only try over a middle-distance in the Spring Champion Stakes, but it was inconclusive given he raced against his usual pattern.
“In the Champion Stakes he sat up too close to the lead. There was nothing Kerrin (McEvoy) could do, he just ended up in second and that’s not him. If you ride him for speed he doesn’t finish off,” Ryan said.
“The horse that led, it finished down the back and he did battle on and didn’t get beaten far and the winner went on and ran second in the (Victoria) Derby.”
Ryan is also keen to see Williamsburg prove he isn’t just a wet track specialist.
While his two Listed wins have been on heavy ground, the only time he hasn’t struck a rain-affected track in 11 runs was in the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) last spring when he settled near the rear and finished strongly for fifth to Golden Mile.
Stablemate Brosnan also kicks off in the Eskimo Prince and like Williamsburg, will improve with fitness and distance.
He has an aversion to wet tracks so his preparation will be dictated by the weather and while he has just one win and one minor placing from eight runs, Ryan is adamant Brosnan is a better horse than his record suggests.
“He had a bugger of a campaign last time because he was dodging wet tracks,” Ryan said.
“We haven’t given up hope in him.”