Williamson looking for smooth sailing with Shes Like The Wind

[Chief Stipe]

Trotting roughly is what could stop Shes Like The Wind running like the wind in Friday night’s Sires Stakes Classique at Addington.

Trainer Phil Williamson will step the Majestic Son trotter out for the first time since her emphatic debut win at Omakau in January in the $20,000 feature for three-year-old fillies.

Shes Like The Wind was nearly the only horse in her maiden win to show a flawless gait as her rivals went off stride around her one after another.

Though the filly looked a professional product in her eight and three-quarter length victory, Williamson warned she still has plenty to learn.

“She has certainly got a fair amount of ability, but she still has a few gait issues.”

“She is getting better in her gait, but she is not quite the finished article.”

“If she gets her gait 100% she could be quite a nice horse.”

“If she trots all the way I would like to think she would be in the first three.”

“Cheerful will be hard to beat and Brent Mangos’ filly will also be a threat – we have raced her before with Oscar Bonavena.”

Friday night’s race is the first of a three-race southern mission for the Brent Mangos trained Sunnys Little Jestic.

She has the Southland Trotting Oaks and the New Zealand Trotting Oaks on her agenda.

Unlike Shes Like The Wind, Sunnys Little Jestic has had public hitouts to prepare her for Friday night’s event.

She pleased her trainer-driver with two solid performances in Alexandra Park trials.

In the latest of those, Sunnys Little Jestic competed against pacers to get some mobile barrier practice in.

Williamson has kept Shes Like The Wind fresh ahead of her second start.

She has not made any public appearances since her Omakau victory.

Her trainer said he wanted to restrict the filly to racing her own age and sex, rather than taking on seasoned older trotters.

Cheerful is set to start the favourite for Friday night’s race.

The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen trained filly had little luck from the outside of the front line in last weekend’s Hambletonian Classic.

After getting well back in the field, she charged home in to fifth placing.

Shes Like The Wind’s half brother, by Love You, was the second highest priced trotting yearling at last week’s National Yearling Sales.

The colt was knocked down to Emilio and Mary Rosati for $90,000.

The horse is headed to Sydney to join their new stable that will be headed by Noel Daley.

The Rosatis have another high-priced yearling in the Williamson stable.

The Love You colt from champion racemare, One Over Kenny, that topped last year’s trotting sale had his first public appearance at Rangiora recently.

The trotter, named Express Stride, pleased Williamson when running third in a two-year-old trotting workout heat.

Williamson said Express Stride was likely to trial at Forbury Park this weekend before he found a suitable first race for the horse.

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