Lighter drivers have edge on grass

Papakura’s Sailesh (left) and Jay Abernethy  hold the spoils after winning the Brothers In Arms...
Papakura’s Sailesh (left) and Jay Abernethy hold the spoils after winning the Brothers In Arms invited drivers’ series at Oamaru on Saturday. The brothers also won the title two years ago. Photo: Shannon Gillies.
Harness star Matthew Williamson has no doubts drivers like him are the ones punters should be following over coming months.

And by drivers like him, he means skinny drivers.

Williamson had a huge weekend in the sulky, reining four grass track winners, three at Oamaru on Saturday and one at Methven yesterday.

But even his three at Oamaru were not enough to win the Brothers In Arms series with brother Nathan. That honour went to northern siblings Sailesh and Jay Abernethy.

They won four of the six series races, Sailesh bagging three and Jay one, while only one of Matthew Williamson’s  three winners of the day came in a heat of the series.

However,  the 26-year-old Oamaru horseman said Saturday’s results were a blueprint for the busy grass track racing circuit over the summer.

"I have do doubt the lighter drivers have an advantage on the grass tracks," Williamson said.

"Look at Saturday. I won three races and I weight about 65kg, while I reckon Sailesh would be closer to 55kg than 60kg. Same with Jay.

"I am sure on the grass tracks, because they aren’t as smooth, us lighter guys and  a lot of the girls have an advantage over some of the bigger boys.

"You even see it with the sulkies a lot of trainers use on the grass tracks now. A lot of trainers, especially in the bigger stables where they have the resources, use their older carts on the grass rather than the new, heavier ones you use at Addington.

"So maybe that is something for punters to watch out for."

Williamson said his father, Phil, qualified a couple of nice trotters over the weekend and the stable expects to have its usual strong summer on the Southland circuit. The lighter-drivers theory also shone through in Saturday’s feature when Samantha Ottley led almost throughout on Perissa to win the Changeover Handicap. The Mark Jones-trained mare recorded her ninth career win and her third for the season, matching her best return for an entire term two years ago. With her manners and love of the grass she should not be hard to place on the Country Cups circuit in coming months. The expensive failure of the race was hot favourite Alta Orlando, who never gave punters reason for confidence after taking an age to circle the field in the middle stages before being beaten before the turn, and finishing fifth.

● Hot favourite Hectorjayjay has been handed the worst possible draw for Friday night’s Interdominion final in Perth.

Unbeaten in all three heats, Hectorjayjay will start from the outside of the front line in the 2900m mobile, with a fast front line drawn inside him.

Kiwi pacers Franco Nelson and Smolda drew barriers 6 and 7.

Interdominion final field: Bling It On (1), Run Oneover (2), Our Jericho (3), Lennytheshark (4), John Of Arc (5), Franco Nelson (6), Smolda (7), Bettors Fire (8), Hectorjayjay (9), Beaudiene Boaz (10).

- Michael Guerin

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