“He’s one of the slowest learners I’ve ever had anything to do with,” said Danny Williams of Saturday’s TAB Highway winner Bandi’s Boy. “He hasn’t yet learned to finish the job. He’s got the acceleration to put a couple of lengths on his opposition but it’s as though he doesn’t want to leave them. He’s far from being a natural racehorse.”
Jay Ford, who knows the gelding backwards allowed him to leave the gates under his own steam at Randwick on Saturday. Bandi’s Boy raced generously in seventh spot to the turn, before straightening up some six lengths from the leaders. He moved like a really nice horse when switched wide on top of the rise and was alongside Allaboutroy and Iron Will in a few strides.
He was obviously distracted when he lost sight of the opposition, but Ford gave him a quick “wake up call” and he got going again to comfortably stave off Super Extreme with Sumptuary third. His lack of race craft is largely attributable to the fact that this was only his fifth start and his second win. It’s all ahead of the four year old.
Bandi's Boy (Jay Ford) was wondering where his rivals were in the closing stages of the TAB Highway - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Bandi’s Boy was bred by owner John Woods, a Lachlan Valley pastoralist and long time member of the Forbes Jockey Club committee. His friendship with the trainer goes back to the early 1990’s when Danny Williams was among the state’s most successful amateur jockeys. “Sadly, John was to get only one foal out of his mare Tibidabo, a daughter of Hinchinbrook who’d won a couple of country races at Coonamble and Goulburn,” said Danny. “She had to be put down following a paddock accident before her second stallion mating. Her lone foal Bandi’s Boy is by Brothers At War who stands at the Lamont family’s Kooringal Stud at Wagga, and is popping up with regular winners. I was delighted to accept John’s offer to train his colt out of the ill fated Tibidabo. It wasn’t long before we knew he had a lot of natural ability, but he wasn’t very bright.”
Bandi’s Boy was showing enough natural talent for Danny to set him a tough first up task in April of last year. The trainer’s judgement was vindicated when the gelding ran a hell of a race at odds of $81.00 to finish fifth only 2.9 lengths from winner Semillion in the Gr 3 Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick. For a few strides on top of the rise he loomed menacingly, before running out of puff in the dying stages.
Three weeks later the wayward youngster displayed the kind of motor that Dan always knew he had under the bonnet. He contested the Schweppes Hcp at Randwick with William Pike on board and went out equal third pick at $9.00. He settled outside the leader Command Approved with favourite Zougotcha parked right on his heels. Bandi’s Boy was on his worst behaviour as he veered almost to the outside fence, looking certain to throw the race away. Zougotcha went as straight as a gun barrel but failed by one length to pick up her erratic rival. Had he gone straight the gelding would have demolished a filly who went on to win four stakes races including the Gr1 Flight Stakes.
Bandi's Boy lost his compass in winning the Schweppes Hcp at Randwick in April 2022, but was still too good for top filly Zougotcha. William Pike rode the winner - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Bandi’s Boy resumed in a TAB Highway at Randwick four months later. He was never on the track from a wide gate and felt the pinch in the closing stages to finish third behind smart performers Pokerjack and Participator. Danny returned to Goulburn well satisfied with the run. It was only a few days later when the talented horse was involved in a freakish accident in the stable spa. “For some reason he turned himself completely around and tried to scramble out the rear end of the spa,” said the trainer. “We were horrified to see a nasty gash on the inside of his near hind leg. We got him over that setback and immediately got him back into serious work. Next thing we know he was lame in the opposite hind leg. In a nutshell this is what the vets diagnosed.
“They said he’d developed an abnormal accumulation of tissue within the right hind foot adjacent to the navicular bone which could have been caused by any one of four complicated possibilities. The vets stressed that he’d require a very long spell, and a gradual build up in training on resuming. We took forever to bring him up and by the time we got to the trials, a full year had passed. We actually contested three trials at Goulburn against smart horses like Mogo Magic, Front Page and Love Shuck. He won one of those trials and finished fourth twice under absolutely no pressure. The suspect leg was giving him no trouble.”
Bandi’s Boy was quoted a $9.00 chance when he resumed in a BM78 at Rosehill on October 7th. Dan and John Woods were gobsmacked when their boy walked out of the gates and then wanted to run off the track in the first 300m of the 1100m sprint. The Goulburn trials had done little for his tractability. “At least he got going late at Rosehill and actually recorded a very quick last 600m,” said Dan. “We could only hope being back at the races would jog his memory. Thank goodness he was much better at Randwick on Saturday - not perfect but hopefully the penny is about to drop. He’ll just have one more run before we get him back into the paddock. This horse has got a lot of untapped ability and I want to have him right on track for next year’s Country Championship.”
Bandi's Boy is the only foal of ill-fated mare Tibidabo. His "Kant-See-Back" winkers allow him to sight horses on either side - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
I enjoyed a long chat with the top all round horseman on Sunday morning. He’s currently working a team of twenty horses, with seven of his two year old crop having just been turned out again. “We’ve got two year olds by stallions like Winning Rupert, Highland Reel, Ten Sovereigns, Unite And Conquer, Toronado, Divine Prophet and Nicconi,” said Dan. “They’ve all had several mini preparations and all have pleased me greatly. I’m no different to any other trainer. You’ve got to have young horses coming through if you’re ever going to unearth a topliner.”
Dan has been low in spirits of late in the wake of a freak accident suffered by his stable apprentice Dale Cole (23). “Dale was a matter of days off having his first race ride when the unthinkable happened,” said the trainer. “He and I were working a couple of young horses together, giving me a perfect view of the incident. His mount bucked and threw Dale forward over its head. Unfortunately, one of his feet got caught in the iron and he couldn’t get free. He was dragged at least 100m and for some of the time he was underneath the horse’s hind feet.
Thankfully his foot eventually slipped out of his boot leaving on the track with multiple injuries. The doctors diagnosed a broken femur, broken pelvis, punctured lung and three broken ribs. All surgery was done by arthroscopy and he was home in no time. They’ve got him walking and he’s making great progress. Dale’s desperate to get back and I’ll guarantee he’ll make that riding debut yet. He’s a great boy with a positive attitude. I’ll be doing my best to find the right horse to get him on the road. It was all very upsetting for me and my team.”
Meanwhile Danny’s evergreen stakes winner Shelby Sixtysix is to continue his spring preparation. The Toronado gelding was the surprise packet of the 2022 Sydney autumn, reeling off gutsy wins in the Gr 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes and the Gr 1 Galaxy. Those wins were no more impressive than his close and courageous second to Eduardo in the Challenge Stakes with Nature Strip in third place. “His form has been patchy ever since, but you’ve got to remember every race he has now is in stakes company,” says Dan. “He’s very happy in his work and touch wood, his old leg problems are not bothering him. When he gets things to suit he’s still competitive. He’s far better on a rain affected track. I’ve got a few races ticked off in Sydney and Melbourne through the spring, and I’ll be hoping for some moisture.”
Shelby Sixtysix (Robbie Dolan) went from a TAB Highway to the Gr. 1 Galaxy in three weeks. He beat Big Parade and In The Congo in the big sprint at Rosehill - Courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The Danny Williams story is well documented. He’s the son of Harry Williams who was a highly regarded jockey in western NSW in the 1960’s and 70’s before becoming a successful trainer. Danny’s mother Helen also made her mark in the western training ranks. A brilliant rider from childhood, Danny went on to enjoy fifteen years as a jockey on the NSW amateur circuit, winning more than 500 races. In 1994 he surprised family and friends by shedding a massive number of kilos to try his hand as a professional jockey. This he did with distinction, winning one hundred races in just over four years. His short professional career ended on a high note when he was successful at his last seven rides.
He later quit the saddle to become private trainer for the late Alan Cardy - a former Wallaby and a very notable wing three quarter for the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League team. He trained twenty two winners in the first year for his new boss, and maintained a tidy strike rate for the next fifteen with the talented Normal Practice the most distinguished performer. He won at Gr 3 level in Sydney and Melbourne and gave owner and trainer an almighty thrill when he beat all but Isca and Dantelah in the 1999 Newmarket Hcp.
Danny prepared Wasted Emotions to win nine city races including the listed Hall Mark Stakes while Kablammo was a ten time winner for the stable including a stakes race at Flemington. Fox Lake won eight races including five in town. Court Connection won three city races and the 2013 Canberra Cup with recently retired Glyn Schofield in the saddle. Cape Breton was another handy performer in the maroon and white Cardy colours, winning three Sydney metro races, a Wagga Guineas and a Queensland Cup.
It’s well documented that Danny has been among the most successful TAB Highway trainers since the concept was introduced in 2015. After the 361 Highways decided to date, Danny (25.5) trails leader Matt Dunn (32) on the all time trainer’s list. Early winners for the Goulburn trainer included She Knows, Don’t Give A Damn, Major Danger, Laughing Or Crying, Leg Work, and My Blue Jeans while his more recent Highway winners are Shelby Sixtysix, Wizard Of Oz and Stormy Witness.
With 25.5 TAB Highway winners Danny Williams is in second place behind Matt Dunn (32) after 361 editions of the series - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
At the end of a long week and with a Randwick winner under the belt the thought of an easy Sunday morning must have crossed Dan’s mind. Not this dedicated horseman. When I got him on the phone at around 9.30am he was in the stables administering treatment to a sick horse. He said he’d ring back in fifteen minutes and he did just that. This veteran horseman is a thorough professional from the top of his trademark broad brimmed stetson to the bottom of his steel tipped boots.
(Banner image - Bandi's Boy is slowly learning his trade. He was having only his 5th start when he won Saturday's TAB Highway - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)