Breakthrough winner for trainer Williams at Redcliffe

By Jordan Gerrans

After breaking through for his first ever career winner, trainer Toby Williams is hopeful a few more are just around the corner.

The third-generation trots participant, Williams juggles full-time work and study with his training duties in the harness industry.

And, 18 months after starting out on his own accord, Williams cracked his first winner on Wednesday evening at Redcliffe as Camroller got the money in the Tab Pace over 2040m.

Driven by Trent Moffat, Camroller led throughout and just had enough left in the tank to survive being run down by Huntaway in the closing stages to score by half-a-metre.

“I have taken my time, but I have got there eventually,” Williams said with a laugh on Thursday morning. 

“It took a little bit of effort, but we finally got there.

“Drawing one as we did on Wednesday night, we thought we had a really good chance as he does not have a sprint on him, he has to draw one to have a good chance.”

The Tamborine-based Williams described Moffat’s driver as “excellent” to deliver him his maiden triumph.

In his opening year and a half in the training game, Williams has only had Camroller and Mister Elegant in his stable.

He would love to have a few more horses to play with but as he is nearing becoming a high school teacher, Williams is set to graduate later this year, as well as working full-time delivering feed – he just does not have the time.

“Mister Elegant had a few injuries to his leg and then it took about six months for me to buy Camroller,” Williams said.

“It has been about perfecting him until he finally got there on Wednesday night, working on different things.”

Williams would like to have a team of five or six horses in a perfect world, which he may look to do into the future when he has more time to spare.

He was destined to be within the harness industry from a young age with both Williams’ parents and grandparents both involved.

Parents Tracey and Scott Williams both trained, owned and drove in their own right.

“When I was a child, it was common for them to have five or six horses in work and we would take the truck to Rocklea on the weekend,” he said.

“They were very proud of me getting my first winner, they congratulated me and said about how it has taken a while to get here with a lot of work.”

As an eight-year-old pacer, Camroller now has 14 career wins from 117 starts.

Looking ahead, Williams is likely to set Camroller for a race next Saturday at Albion Park.