Forbury Park Trotting Club racegoers were greeted with a familiar sight at the first meeting of the club's new harness racing season.
Regular racegoers are often treated to seeing leading southern driver Matthew Williamson notching multiple wins on a Forbury Park card, and he did not disappoint his backers last night.
Just as familiar, was the sight of Matthew's first winner, Pyramid Magic, who carried home Phil Williamson's black racing silks.
The Armbro Invasion 5yr-old scorched home wide on the track, putting behind him a winless past 11 months.
That period featured five unplaced starts, but was not a reflection of his form on the training track, Matthew said.
''He's one of those horses that trains super at home and this was the right race for him.''
What was not familiar about the win was Williamson's conservative drive.
He opted not to come off the markers with 600m to run and was pocketed, rounding the home turn.
That option paid off, as the trotter produced a spirited finish once finding clear racing room.
''He's best saved for one run; he's got good speed. He did step the wheel and show some [speed] at the top of the straight,''The gelding's immediate racing future was not certain, but it would be considered after a rise to c1, following last night's win.
''We will have to see how he steps up to the next grade,'' Williamson said.
Williamson later made it two wins from two trotting races.
The second win, aboard Anothersuperstar, was a more familiar sight than the first, with Williamson putting on one of his trademark front-running drives.
The 8yr-old began quickly to lead early and gave Williamson a good feeling during the middle stages, before scoring for Tapanui trainer Alan Shaw.
''That's the best she has ever trotted for me. We got rolling down the back straight because she felt so good,'' Williamson said.
Those bold front-running tactics briefly looked like coming unstuckwhen she was challenged by Kylie Castleton, but that was shortllived.
''At the top of the straight I thought Kylie Castleton might get us, but in the end she won easy.''
Anothersuperstar would continue to contest similar c1 and faster southern trotting races, given her good recent form, Shaw said.
Williamson again adopted successful front-running tactics, this time on pacer Jerry Fitz, who notched his ninth career win last night.
Although not a noted front-runner, Jerry Fitz ''ran away and hid'' from his rivals according to Williamson.
The 7-yr-old, who ''never leads and is usually hopeless in front'' was helped by a lightened training regime leading into the race, co-trainer Geoff Knight said.
Trainer Matt Saunders watched his charge, Arden Concord, win at Forbury Park last night from his Southland base, before heading to watch his former team, the Southland Stags, take on Auckland in ITM Cup rugby.
Saunders had the 4yr-old transported to last night's races, where the horse's co-owner, Westwood Beach trainer Graeme Anderson, took over race-night training responsibilities.
Saunders and Anderson had previously exchanged horses they thought were best suited to the other's training environments, Saunders said.
Arden Concord was having his third race-day start after unplaced runs in both Saunders' and Anderson's colours.
Those performances were not a true indication of the horse's ability, Saunders said.
''He's a nice horse; he only does what he has to. We haven't really asked him to do much. He's doing it all on ability at the moment.''
A step up to competing in c1 grade should hold no fears for the Panspacific Flight pacer, Saunders said.
- Jonny Turner
