Champion jockey Craig Williams, who was runner-up last year, is making his way back to Rockhampton for Sunday’s $1 million The Archer (1300m), tapped to ride Robert Heathcote’s Rothfire.
The Rockhampton Jockey Club gains a huge boost from this horse-rider duo as the slot race hits its fifth anniversary.
On the previous year’s Rockhampton meeting, Williams had two rides, including second in The Archer on Comrade Rosa for Tony Gollan, and he shared his positive outlook on returning post-Adelaide on Saturday and Hong Kong on Sunday.
“I ran second in the race last year,” Williams said.
“I enjoyed my time up there, it’s a million-dollar race and I ran second so naturally I want to win it now.
An eight-year-old gelding, Rothfire co-leads the official ratings with Lindsay Park’s Group One champ Here To Shock, one point clear of Yellow Brick, last year’s Stradbroke Handicap runner-up.
Williams guided Rothfire to seventh in last year’s Stradbroke and is keen to reconnect with the ‘Thriller from Chinchilla’.
“He’s going to be one of the best weighted horses in the race,” Williams said.
“He’s the best rated horse in the race. Whether that means he can win is another thing because it’ll be a strong race, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
With set weights and penalties in play for The Archer, Rothfire shoulders 57.5kg compared to Here To Shock’s 59.5kg earned from victory in New Zealand’s Group 1 BCD Sprint (1400m).
Rothfire sits at $6 in early third-line betting for The Archer, following Yellow Brick at $4.
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