Willo and Brightside: A winning combo

Craig Williams has won major races on top-class horses throughout the world, but there’s one thing that stands out for him when it comes to Mr Brightside.

“He’s the horse that I’ve won the most races on in my whole career,” Williams said.

“He’s the pinnacle for winners.”

The Melbourne Cup-winning jockey has been aboard Mr Brightside for 13 of his 15 career victories, beginning with a five-length maiden at Geelong in July 2021 and culminating in his recent successes at the highest level.

Williams marvelled at the way that the outstanding miler has improved throughout his career under the management of Ben, Will and JD Hayes.

“The form shows people physical improvement and also mentally the way he’s come on and the way that he’s handling himself,” he said.

“I’m very grateful to be part of his development and to see him now, especially at that level. We get horses and they improve and do better but to actually get to that level and improve and get better is just phenomenal.”

Despite that, Williams admitted that at around the halfway mark of the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes a fortnight ago, he wasn’t so sure that Mr Brightside would be adding to his winning record.

“It was a brutally run race, hard tempo,” he said.

“He wasn’t travelling, he didn’t toe me into the race, I was encouraging him, urging him, begging him, pleading with him to bring him into the race.

“Then, he’s a phenomenal horse, he’s got great ability, a great will to win, so at the 400m and the 200m, I was very confident.”

WATCH: Mr Brightside flies home to win the Orr

Williams will continue his association with Mr Brightside in Saturday’s Futurity Stakes, as the New Zealand-bred star chases his sixth G1 victory.

Sportsbet has Mr Brightside as the raging-hot $1.50 favourite for his second-up assignment.

Williams will also partner Skew Wiff, a mare who’s proven herself at the highest level thanks to her win in the G1 Tarzino Trophy last year, in the G1 Oakleigh Plate on Saturday.

“It is always a really gruelling, testing race but she’s definitely got the capacity and the ability to win the race,” he said.

The experienced rider got another feel for Mark Walker’s mare in her trackwork at Caulfield on Tuesday and was pleased with how she worked.

“She’s drawn a nice, low barrier draw, which means that she’ll get a very economical run and I know I’ve got a horse at that level that’s going to be good enough to compete at the end,” Williams said.

Sportsbet has Skew Wiff at $21 in its Oakleigh Plate market.