The Knights scored a career-best four training wins in one day on yesterday’s Waimate Trotting Club’s programme.
They were outdone only by Williamson, who set himself a record for driving winners in one day at five victories.
Among their haul, the training and driving combination produced a race-winning hat-trick with Silver Dale in race 3, Fiery Ferret in race 4 and Skylla in race 5.
Later, Seduce Me gave the combination their fourth win by taking out race 8, which also took Williamson to five driving wins. He won race 2 earlier in the day when steering the Chris McLeod-trained Whatasista to victory.
Even before Seduce Me got their fourth training victory, the Knights set another record by scoring their first hat-trick of wins. They had won three races in one day on two prior occasions but had never had it happen in consecutive races before yesterday, Geoff Knight said.
Their record-setting day gave the husband and wife trainers a "massive thrill", he said.
"When you have been going through a bit of a lean patch and you think the world is against you, then all of a sudden you come out today ... and the worm turns."
Why that worm turned yesterday was something of a mystery to Knight, but not a surprise. The victories were due reward for his quartet, he said.
"They have all been working well and they have been actually racing well.
"You have to keep it in perspective; we haven’t got a great team this year. But we have a lot of honest horses and all of those honest horses got the right runs."
The Knights’ passion for the industry showed best during the first of their wins, with Fiery Ferret. Geoff Knight’s post-race debrief with Williamson started before Fiery Ferret had crossed the line. Racing on Oamaru’s grass surface gives racegoers a closer-than-usual view of horses speeding up the home straight. Among those cheering their charges home was Geoff Knight, who gave a celebratory cheer to Williamson as he and Fiery Ferret crossed the line to win.
While those cheers are common during any race and usually go unheard by drivers, this time was different. As Williamson was about to pass the post, he heard Knight’s cheer and caught a glimpse of the jubilant trainer as he looked around to check that he had his opponents covered.The scenario typified both Geoff and Jude Knight’s passion for their horses and harness racing, Williamson said.
"The love their horses and love their racing."
Williamson’s five winning drives would rate highly among his already extraordinary driving record.
"It was a huge thrill.
"To do it on my home track and win four for Geoff and Jude, who have been great supporters of mine, was special too."
A drop back in distance was the key to Fiery Ferret turning his patchy recent form around.
The pacer had gone better than it might have appeared when he finished well back behind Bakari at Forbury Park earlier this month, Williamson said.
The pacer did not run out the 2700m mobile event strongly, but found yesterday’s 2000m standing start "perfect" for him, he said.
Silver Dale was not in need of a change in race circumstances leading into his maiden victory yesterday.
The pacer had produced consistent form over a range of distances from both standing and mobile starts.
That had produced eight placings in his 16-start career, but that record brought with it a reputation that he always found one or two better horses that would prevent him from winning.
The difference yesterday was his run in the one-one, which gave the horse his ultimate opportunity to win, Williamson said.
Skylla’s win produced the narrowest margin of the hat-trick of wins, a neck in race 5. The 3yr-old came with a determined finish on the passing lane to haul in leader Dying To See You.
According to Williamson, the career of race 2-winning trotter Whatasista has been a case of mistaken identity.
The Chris McLeod trained 5yr-old is a half sister to the talented but often troubled former race mare Armbro Demon.
Her breeding has given her a reputation her trotting ability can’t keep up with; she has been in the first two favourites in four of her previous five starts.
While she may not reach the same heights as her half sister, her driver does expect her to win more races, he said.
