Champion Victorian jockey Craig Williams is hopeful a wide draw won’t stop Iconoclasm from delivering him a third success in the Group 1 Kirin-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Williams produced two masterful front running rides to win the Railway Stakes in 2009 aboard Gathering and in 2015 aboard Good Project and will likely have to adopt similar tactics this Saturday aboard Iconoclasm.
Last season’s leading Victorian metropolitan jockey teams up with Iconoclasm for the first time in Saturday’s $1 million feature and said barrier 12 was a slight concern for him.
“I’d like him to have drawn closer to the inside than the outside,” Williams said.
“Wherever he draws though he is likely to be in a similar position in running.
“Hopefully he gets some luck in running too.”
Iconoclasm settled midfield during his last start eighth to Best Of Days in the Group 1 Cantala Mile (1600m) on November 3, but was on speed at his two prior starts when he won the Weekend Hussler Stakes (1400m) and the VOBIS Gold Star (1500m) on October 13 and 26 respectively.
The Darren Weir-trained galloper carries the famous Rosemount Stud colours, which Williams has enjoyed success with at the highest level when Volkstok’n’barrell took out the 2015 Rosehill Guineas.
Williams also teamed up with Weir to taste Group 1 success in the Thousand Guineas with Amphitrite during Melbourne’s spring carnival and said he was excited to ride for the leading trainer in Perth.
As well as having success in the Railway Stakes, Williams won the 2011 WA Guineas with King Saul and has finished second in the past two editions of the Group 2 event aboard Lusaha and Achernar Star.
Williams teams up with the Chris Waller-trained Orcein in this Saturday’s three-year-old feature and despite not having ridden him previously, said he was confident the gelding would measure up.
“For Chris Waller to be targeting a horse at the WA Guineas, that’s enough confidence for me,” he said.
“Chris trained Good Project to win the Railway a few years ago, so he knows the right type of horse to send to Perth.”
Orcein is $12 with TABtouch, while Iconoclasm is a $9 chance in the Railway Stakes.
Williams has picked up the ride on the Sean Casey-trained Pablo’s Poem in the Listed Placid Ark Stakes (1200m) and the Fred Kersley-trained In Love With Paris in the Carbine Club Stakes (1400m).
Tim Walker