Fifth Scobie Breasley medal for Craig Williams

Darryl Sherer - Monday September 4

Craig Williams won his fifth Scobie Breasley medal and Winx named Victorian Horse of the Year at Sunday's award evening in Melbourne.

Advertisement
Craig Williams. Photo: Darryl Sherer

Williams polled 62 votes to defeat Damian Lane on 43 with Damien Oliver third on 41 for the 21st year of the jockeys' award.

Williams, who also won his sixth Roy Higgins medal for his win in the Melbourne metropolitan premiership, finished runner-up to Dwayne Dunn for the Scobie Breasley last year, voted on a 3-2-1 basis by stewards at Melbourne metropolitan meetings.

Williams said he considered himself blessed to have won the award again.

"We do a dangerous job which we love to do but we are all fortunate enough to have great teams behind us," Williams said.

"It's a great honour to win this award again - when Australian jockeys go overseas and ride so well it's because of the depth of opposition we ride against here day in day out.

"It was the success of Scobie Breasley in Europe that paved the way for so many Australian jockeys to ride overseas and we are all grateful for that."

Despite another successful season, Williams said he is driven to keep succeeding.

"The competition last season was great and I'm looking forward to the new season. It was great to get the first Group One on Vega Magic on Saturday but the merry go round keeps going.

"I was watching videos this morning looking for my next winner so things don't stop."

The 2017 award winners are:

Scobie Breasley Medal - Craig Williams

Roy Higgins Medal (Metropolitan Jockeys' Premiership) - Craig Williams (77 wins)

Victorian Jockeys' Premiership - Dean Yendall (138 wins)

Metropolitan Apprentices' Premiership - Beau Mertens (73 wins)

Victorian Apprentices' Premiership - Beau Mertens (104 wins)

Victorian Racehorse of the Year - Winx

Fred Hoysted Medal - David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig

Metropolitan Trainers' Premiership - Darren Weir (137 wins)

Victorian Trainers' Premiership - Darren Weir (416 wins)

Tommy Corrigan Medal - John Allen

Colin Alderson Rising Star - Archie Alexander

TROA Victorian Owner of the Year - David Hayes

TBV Champion Victorian Sire - Written Tycoon

TBV Leading Victorian Breeder - Gilgai Farm

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 24
Here is the full list of 102 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Antino King of Doomben with Track Record Breaking Victory
Trainer Tony Gollan has earmarked the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) as the long-range target for star galloper Antino after a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday in track record time.
Brisbane Possible for Resurgent Velocious
Group One winner Velocious bounced back to her brilliant best in the Jarvis Trading (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, raising the possibility of a trans-Tasman mission.
Hellbent Filly Wins Listed Bill Carter
The $160,000 Listed BRC Bill Carter Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday had a short priced favourite in Hellbent filly Sunrays and she gave punters no cause for concern when powering clear for a dominant victory.
Philia Highlights Oaks Claims With Tenacious The Roses Win
Successful last time out in the Listed Princess Stakes when becoming the 30th stakes winner for her sire All Too Hard, the David Vandyke trained Philia went four from four this time in, leading through to win the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben.
Stakes Potential for Miss Ole
Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk added an 11th winner to his tally when the Clinton McDonald trained filly Miss Ole scored a stylish win in quick time at Sandown on Saturday.
NZ Oaks Winner Strikes Form in Australia for Yulong
Last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Pulchritudinous landed her first blow across the Tasman with a gritty victory in the Gr.3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Mile (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
G1 Stradbroke Next for War Machine
Hot favourite War Machine made light work of his rivals in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday and it is now all systems go as the four-year-old son of Harry Angel (IRE) heads towards the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.  
Almanzor Keeps Winners Coming for Moody- Coleman
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Roadcone led his rivals a merry dance when winning the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on Saturday, bringing up a treble for the stable and jockey Luke Cartwright.
Randwick around the track with Clinton Payne on Saturday
Saturday saw the return of Australian racing’s pin-up girl Winx and after giving racegoers a genuine heart flutter, she duly delivered with one of her best ever wins at Randwick.