Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Bakers Hill trainer Mike Williams ended a ten-year drought when handsome gelding Bronzed scored a stylish all-the-way victory in the $20,250 Follow @Gloucester Park On Twitter Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This gave the 64-year-old Williams his first metropolitan-class win since nine-year-old Dee Eight Supercar started at $15.60 and won by a head from Topnotch Dan in a 2503m standing-start event at Gloucester Park on August 24, 2012.
Williams is a farrier and has prepared a small team of pacers for many years. Two-year-old Bronzed, a gelding by Indomitable Saab, was the $1.45 favourite who was driven with great confidence and aggression by Deni Roberts.
Bronzed began like a shot from barrier four and he left his six rivals floundering in his wake as he sped over the lead time in 36.5sec. He maintained a strong pace and won easily by 5m from $12 chance Cabsav, who finished strongly from last at the bell. Hez All The Rage ($3.30) battled on into third place after racing without cover.
Bronzed, who was bred and is owned by Williams’s wife Sue, looks set for a bright future after his first 13 starts have produced four wins, four placings and stakes of $31,444.
Bronzed is the second foal out of the Live Or Die mare Zonya, who was given to Sue Williams as a gift by her breeders Pat ad Ron Borg towards the end of the mare’s racing career in 2016. Zonya won a minor race at Kellerberrin in May 2016 for Williams before being retired to the breeding barn with a record of 68 starts for six wins, 15 placings and $43,720.
Zonya’s first foal Flashee finished second to State Of Heaven at Narrogin last December at his second start in a race. He then bowed a tendon and is recuperating well.
“A few months ago, we planned to put Bronzed out for three months,” said Sue Wiliams. “But he then won at Northam and again tonight. He is thriving and loves being in work.”
Mike Williams enjoyed plenty of success with Dee Eight Supercar, who was retired after having 71 starts for ten wins, 30 placings and $86,469. He also trained Jett Dee, who was bred by his wife.
Jett Dee earned $156,590 from 12 wins and 34 placings from 104 starts. He was prepared by Mike Williams for 54 of those starts for eight wins and 25 placings and $94,869. One of those 25 placings was his second to the brilliant James Matthew in the Group 1 State Sires Series for two-year-old colts and geldings in July 2008.