Craig Williams is another step closer to the record for Victorian metropolitan jockeys’ premierships after clinching his ninth title this season.
Williams now sits two premierships behind the record of 11 set by both the late Roy Higgins and late Bill Duncan.
Damien Oliver has won 10 Melbourne premierships and he finished second in this season’s standings behind Williams.
A winning double at the final Melbourne metropolitan meeting of the 2019-20 season at Caulfield on Saturday took Williams’ tally of city winners in Victoria to 70 for the season.
He won the premiership by 10 wins over Oliver with third-placed Dwayne Dunn another nine wins behind.
Williams’ nine premierships include the past five in a row and he admits trying to surpass the record of 11 Melbourne premierships is one goal he and his support team have set.
“That’s one of our goals that we set, if we’re going to be in Australia for most of the 12 months then it’s definitely a great goal and ambition that myself and my team are really aspiring to try to get to,” Williams told RSN927.
“They’re long goals and we just need everything to go right.
“Of course the simple formula is getting winners. But it’s to stay not suspended, not injured. It is a 12-month process.
“We’ve been really fortunate and we had a great year this year.”
The 2019-20 season for Williams was highlighted by his first Melbourne Cup win aboard Vow And Declare.
He also won another five Group One races in Australia during the season, four of those in Melbourne (two on Loving Gaby and two on Fierce Impact) as well as the Rosehill Guineas in Sydney on Castelvecchio.
He also won the Singapore Gold Cup.
“It was a really exciting year for success in big races,” he said.
The champion jockey also finished second on Vow And Declare in the Caulfield Cup and second on Castelvecchio in the Cox Plate last spring.
Williams incurred a 10-meeting suspension at Caulfield on Saturday and after a short break will commence his tilt for the 2020-21 premiership.