Country Stampede champ returns at Emerald

By Glenn Davis

Reigning Country Stampede champion Lily Allez returns to familiar territory at her home track at Emerald on Tuesday ahead of another long-range tilt at a country feature during the Queensland Racing Carnival.

Trainer Raymond Williams has no plans of retiring seven-year-old mare Lily Allez to the breeding barn just yet and is contemplating racing her in the Country Stampede Final next December.

However, her immediate goal with be the Battle Of The Bush Final at Doomben in June.

Williams collected his biggest pay cheque of his career when he won the Country Cup Championship with Echo Point two years ago while his Country Stampede win with Lily Allez was his second biggest prizemoney earn.

“I’ve trained mares up to 10 but this year will see her out,” Williams said.

“I wanted to run her at Calliope on Boxing Day but the meeting was called off.

“She’s only got 62kgs at Emerald and I thought she’d get a bit more weight than that so I think she’ll be extremely hard to beat again.

“She’ll probably have another run in a Plate at Emerald in a couple of weeks then she’ll spell and come back for the Battle Of The Bush in the winter and hopefully the Stampede again before she’s retired.”

Lily Allez has not raced since her Country Stampede victory on November 30 and will be ridden by Nikki Olzard when she steps out in the Open Handicap over 1000 metres.

She will be chasing a hat-trick of wins after booking her spot in the Country Stampede final by winning a qualifying race at Clermont in mid-November of last year.

Williams was a former jockey before increasing weight forced him to quit the saddle.

He trains as a hobby to supplement his income when he started working as the curator at the Emerald track three years ago.

Williams previously worked in the mines for over 20 years and had help around the stables from his wife, Tracey, before she fell ill.

“I’m 48 now but I gave up working in the mines when Tracey became sick and was later diagnosed with cancer,” Williams said.

“I worked in the coal mines for 20 years at Gregory and Goonyella driving a grader and a bulldozer before I became the curator at Emerald.”