Williamson heads to Ascot Park today with Pyramid Magic and Springbank Eden, before returning home to Oamaru and taking Monty Python to Motukarara tomorrow for the group 3 DG Jones Trotting Cup.
The Invercargill-bound pair will be at the forefront of the $8000 c1 and faster handicap trot, with Williamson opting for the race-hardened Pyramid Magic on top of Springbank Eden.
Pyramid Magic is 19 races into his latest campaign but is in the best form of his career, winning two of his last five starts and claiming two thirds out of the other three runs.
"Because he’s been racing so well, there’s been no reason to stop," Williamson said.
"He’s a young horse but he’s pretty mature now. We’re racing him while he’s holding his form and we’ll continue that way until he shows us he could do with a wee let-up."
The 6yr-old was victorious off a 50m handicap against a similar field two weeks ago and will start off the same mark.
The depth in the field looks to start on the 20m line with Sun’s Invasion, with Springbank Eden starting off 40m and Golden Gate joining Pyramid Magic on the back mark.
Springbank Eden is fresh up after winning five races last season and won a trial at Oamaru on September 7 to prepare for today.
"He’ll need to go a lot quicker ... but we were happy with it."
Springbank Eden holds a nomination for the Dominion Trot, but is well down the rankings at this stage.
"He’d want to be putting up a picket fence to be going there. We nominated him early on and we’ll definitely put his foot in the water in a good race and we’ll just see whether he can mix it with them."
Monty Python is slightly closer to that top echelon of trotters, and a top performance in the DG Jones should lift his Dominion Trot ranking from 22 closer to the top 15 — and to where Williamson believes the horse’s true status lies.
"He’s putting his hand up to say he’s not far behind the second tier. Actually, I’d say he’s in the second tier if you take out the Master Lavroses, the Stents and the Monbets," he said.
"I think he’s top 14 in the country, put it that way."
The son of Pegasus Spur has three thirds from his three starts this campaign, and his good standing-start manners off the front should give driver Brad Williamson plenty of options.
"It’s a group race so it will be a test for him at that level but on his run the other day, he wouldn’t have to go much better than that. He would only have to go as good to be top four, I believe. He’ll be there all the way and I can’t see him not battling pretty hard."
Williamson was thrilled with new arrival Alley Way after his second to Bordeaux in a tight-class trot at Addington last week.
"They ran time, which suggested he hasn’t got to get much better. He’s just got to be maintained and let race fitness bring him forward."
The Canterbury Park Trotting Cup next Friday is the next start for Alley Way, provided he pleases Williamson between now and then.
