Racing
Williams locks in five outstanding Group 1 rides on Golden Slipper Day
Champion jockey Craig Williams, the nation's leading Group 1 rider this season, has picked up the prized mount on Godolphin's crack colt Observer in the $750,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on Golden Slipper Day.
His other big-race rides are Pericles in the $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m), Sir Delius in the $1 million Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and Inkaruna in the $1 million The Galaxy (1100m).
Williams' other Slipper Day Group 1 rides are also prominent in early bettiong with Chayan now equal favourite with Paradoxium at $5 for the Golden Slipper, Sir Delius on the second line of betting at $2.80 for the Ranvet, Pericles also second favourite at $8 for the Ryder, and Inkaruna $15 for The Galaxy.
Williams rode his seventh Group 1 winner for the 2025-26 season on Godolphin's Tom Kitten in the All-Star Mile last Saturday and has a two-win lead over James McDonald for the honour of being the nation's leading Group 1 rider.
A treble at the Sandown midweeks on Wednesday has also sent Williams to the top of the Melbourne jockeys' premiership with 38 wins, one win in front of Mark Zahra.
Williams will be back in Sydney for the opening day of the Golden Slipper Festival at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday where he has six rides including Verona Rose in the Group 1 $1 million Coolmore Classic (1500m).
"Then I was looking at her trial and her first-up run this preparation (third to Weeping Woman in the Triscay Stakes) it seemed like she had returned in great order.
"I got back on her at Randwick last start (Guy Walter Stakes) and she won really well. She is a lot sharper than she was as a three-year-old and I was really taken by her versatility and how strong she was through the line the other day.
"The way she has come back this preparation, I believe she is a Group 1 horse now.''
In early Coolmore betting, the Gary Portelli-trained Verona Rose is at $10 with McDonald's mount Lazzura favourite at $4.
Williams is also looking forward to riding promising La Fracas, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior, in the Group 3 $250,000 Maurice McCarten Stakes (1200m).
The Irish-bred La Fracas, owned by Rupert Legh of Chautauqua fame, has won six of his 12 starts and is resuming after two recent Rosehill barrier trials.
"La Fracas has an amazing record, he has beaten me twice in Melbourne,'' Williams said.
"I was watching replays of his races and trials and then I was at the Cranbourne jump-outs where I saw Mick (Price) and I said I'm at Rosehill this Saturday, will you consider me for the ride on La Fracas.
"They found a really nice race for him and I was lucky enough to get the ride so it was good timing.''
McDonald has been the nation's leading Group 1 jockey for five consecutive years and will be striving to edge closer to Williams by winning the Coolmore on the Chris Waller-trained Lazzura.
"When you have James chasing you and the Sydney Group 1 races are only just starting for the autumn carnival, it is like when you get a head start in a foot race but you know the person chasing you is pretty fast,'' Williams said.
"But it is what it is. Sydney's Group 1 races really kick off with five Group 1 races on one day at the Golden Slipper meeting next week - that is an amazing day of racing.
"James rode six winners at Randwick last week but luckily for me only one of those wins was in a Group 1 race.
"He is just a phenomenal jockey who has been riding so well for many years.''
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