WARRNAMBOOL’S Matthew Williams pulled the right rein running Turnitaround in the $80,000 Straight Draw Handicap at Flemington on Saturday, instead of the $40,000 Koroit Cup at Warrnambool yesterday.
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Turnitaround scored his first metropolitan success when he defeated Churchill’s Wit by a short head, with Houdini The Great a nose away in third place in the 1700-metre race.
Williams missed Turn-itaround’s victory as he was on the Gold Coast for Saturday’s big race meeting and yearling sales but arrived back in Warrnambool yesterday after parting with $35,000 for a Denman colt at the sales.
He said Turnitaround’s victory was a great result for long-term stable client Michael Rea.
“It’s the first time that Michael’s colours have won at Flemington,” Williams said. “Michael raced Turnitaround’s mum Devon Dancer which we trained. There was great excitement after the win for everyone.
“Turnitaround had been knocking on the door with minor placings in the Port Fairy and Woodford cups. He was entered for the Koroit Cup but we thought the restricted race for three and four-year-olds at Flemington was the better option.
“The Flemington race was double the prizemoney of the Koroit Cup so it’s been a great result,” he said.
The win took Turnit-around’s stake earnings to just short of $150,000. The lightly raced galloper may have his next start at Moonee Valley on January 24.
Strategic Demand kept up the good recent run for the Williams stable winning a three-year-old maiden at Warrnambool yesterday.
