Dawn Williams

Decision time pending for Irish Excuse connections

Posted on October 21, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Gore trainer Ellis Winsloe says Irish Excuse is at the crossroads of his career, with his performance in the Ray Kean Life Membership 1200 at Wingatui on Thursday going a long way to determining his future. Now 11, No Excuse Needed gelding Irish Excuse has been a grand performer for Winsloe and his co-owners, winning[...]

Posted on July 13, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Peter and Dawn Williams have lost one of their best three-year-old fillies to an Australian stable, but they’ve still got some other good fillies to keep them going in the new season. Peter Williams confirmed that Il Affare, who competed with distinction against the male and female three-year-olds this season, left the stable about two[...]

Posted on July 8, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Midnight Runner is on trial for next month’s Group 3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton but ironically a win at Ashburton on Thursday could rule him out of contention. The six-year-old Jimmy Choux gelding goes into Thursday’s Winter Cup Trial (1400m) at Ashburton as a form runner, having only gone down by[...]

Posted on June 25, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Erin Leighton is doing what she has always dreamed of – riding on raceday. The New Zealand apprentice entered the racing industry as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in the hopes of becoming a jockey, and while the 28-year-old has been given limited opportunities over the years, she is really starting to kick some goals this season.[...]

Posted on June 25, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A filly who was no certainty to survive her first 24 hours of life is now a winner on the racetrack. After a luckless eighth on debut at Avondale and a strong-finishing second at Ellerslie, New Zealand filly Bunkers made it third time lucky in Wednesday’s Alf Cole Memorial (1600m) at Pukekohe. Ridden by Ashvin[...]

Posted on April 26, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Royally bred juvenile Verstappen made the perfect start to her racing career when she came from well back to win on debut over 1200m at Avondale on Monday. The Peter and Dawn Williams-trained Savabeel filly showed plenty of determination in the home straight to collar race favourite Funny Girl in the closing 100m after being[...]

Posted on March 5, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Byerley Park trainer Peter Williams was a relieved man when the news came through that Ellerslie would play host to the Group 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) meeting on Sunday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Friday afternoon that Auckland will move out of lockdown and drop to level 2 from Sunday at 6am,[...]

Posted on February 18, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Il Affare’s iron constitution will serve her well as she continues her Classic preparation at Ellerslie this weekend. That’s the word from the Dundeel filly’s co-trainer Peter Williams as he puts the finishing polish on the two-win filly ahead of Saturday’s Group 2 AJC Avondale Guineas (2100m). Il Affare will back up from her fourth[...]

Posted on February 2, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Promising three-year-olds Slave To Love and Il Affare provided trainers Peter and Dawn Williams with plenty of encouragement ahead of some upcoming Group One assignments when producing solid performances at Pukekohe on Sunday. Savabeel filly Slave To Love ran away from her rating 65 opponents over 1600m to register her second win from four starts[...]

Posted on January 4, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Co-trainer Dawn Williams was in a philosophical mood when assessing the performance of promising three-year-old Il Affare, who overcame a troubled passage to finish third in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. The Dundeel filly got well back in the early stages of the race and was then held[...]

Posted on December 25, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Trainers Peter and Dawn Williams will unleash a three-pronged attack on Saturday’s Group 2 Jamieson Park Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie. The Byerley Park-based conditioners will line up royally bred fillies Helsinki, Royce Roca and Slave To Love, with Peter Williams keen to see them acquit themselves well in their biggest challenge to date.[...]

Posted on November 22, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Talented mare Media Sensation backed up an eye-catching performance at the Ellerslie trials earlier this month with a comprehensive front-running effort to take out the feature event for the fillies and mares at Pukekohe on Saturday, the Group 2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). Successful at the elite level as a three-year-old when[...]

Posted on November 17, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

South Auckland trainers Peter and Dawn Williams are looking forward to heading to Pukekohe on Saturday where Media Sensation will make her raceday resumption in the Group 2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The Group 1 winner has had three trials this preparation, culminating in a 1200m win at Ellerslie last week, and[...]

Posted on November 5, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A lot can happen in 10 minutes. That was the case for prominent breeder/owner Daniel Nakhle who was on track at Pukekohe on Saturday to watch his promising mare Arrivederci win the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m). Nakhle barely had time to watch the replay before Crosshaven, a horse Nakhle co-bred and retained a[...]

Posted on October 20, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The Peter and Dawn Williams-trained Helsinki is on a less conventional path to the Group 1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park next month. The South Auckland trainers have elected to bypass the three-year-old features at Te Rapa this weekend in favour of a 1400m maiden at Matamata on Wednesday. The[...]

Posted on October 8, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Peter and Dawn Williams unleashed a three-year-old filly of promise when Il Affare broke maiden ranks over 1600m at Avondale on Wednesday. The daughter of Dundeel had bumped into a couple of smart gallopers previously, having finished second to Vamos Bebe two starts back before closing well for fourth behind the highly-touted Rocket Spade at[...]

Posted on September 29, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Peter and Dawn Williams are looking to their promising filly Helsinki to spearhead their hopes of a trip to their old stomping ground for the New Zealand Cup meeting at Riccarton in November. Helsinki, a runner-up in two of her three starts and an unlucky eighth in the Listed Karaka Million 2YO (1200m), holds a[...]

Decision time pending for Irish Excuse connections

Il Affare joins leading Sydney barn

Winter Cup puzzle for Midnight Runner

Erin Leighton: born to ride

Pukekohe victory makes long journey worthwhile

Verstappen motors to victory on debut

Relieved Williams hopes for local Derby win

Il Affare to continue on Derby path

Williams pair on target for Group One assignments

Il Affare to continue on Oaks path

Williams takes three-pronged attack into Eight Carat Classic

Media Sensation dominates on-speed in Group 2 feature

Media Sensation primed for Breeders’ Stakes

Pearler Saturday for Nakhle

Helsinki to bypass Te Rapa features

Il Affare looks the deal

Williams stable to test Cup week prospects

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