Verry Elleegant has become a poster girl for the value of the private purchase out of New Zealand, winning four Group 1 races with further success this spring possible as a leading hope in both the G1 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and the Cox Plate.
Given her success, it was little wonder that there was plenty of enthusiasm from largely the same group of owners when Williams was looking to source another 2-year-old filly off the track in New Zealand last year.
"Subpoenaed was the same model as Verry Elleegant. Via a very similar ownership group we bought her out of New Zealand and hoped she would get the chocolates in Australia," Williams told TDN AusNZ.
Two weeks after Verry Elleegant had been a dominant winner of the G1 Australian Oaks, a Rip Van Winkle (Ire) filly won a 2-year-old race at Te Rapa impressively for respected trainer Tony Pike and immediately found herself on the radar of a host of Australian and overseas buyers.
She was out of the city winning mare Notice Received (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), who hailed from the extended family of multiple stakes winner Apple Danish (Danehill {USA}).
Andrew Williams
"We have a guy we use for sectional timing. There was a bit of hype around the race and we looked into the quality she was up against," Williams said.
"We look at hundreds of these horses and if you are lucky enough, you get to pick one out. She had to pass the vet then to get a deal done, so it's not straightforward. It’s hard to identify and buy these horses, so to win a race like the Golden Pendant means a lot."
Apart from her performance on debut, the thing that stood out about Subpoenaed as a 2-year-old was her extravagant action, and that certainly sharpened Williams' enquiries about her.
"We asked the trainer at the time, Tony Pike, and spoke to the jockeys and track riders and asked if that action effects her. The reply came back that while she might have a weird action, she feels like a jet underneath," he said.
"[We] asked if that action effects her. The reply came back that while she might have a weird action, she feels like a jet underneath." - Andrew Williams
"It's no different to what Tommy (Berry) said on the weekend. She makes you feel like you are riding a wave even though she has that action. It was enticing to pursue her when they say she feels like such a good horse."
Williams does a handful of such deals in New Zealand every year, with the vast majority involving geldings coming to Australia or going to Asia to race. It was unusual to deal on fillies as he did with Verry Elleegant and Subpoenaed, but their talent warranted a different approach.
A winding path to stakes success
Subpoenaed made an immediate impression in Australia, storming home to win her second Australian start at Randwick before tackling stakes company in her 3-year-old spring.
Her autumn campaign kicked off with a BM70 win at Randwick, but the trajectory of her career was tempered by a series of close-up but luckless runs, including placings in the G3 James Carr S. and G3 Fred Best S.
"It's been a little frustrating. When she won at Randwick I thought, gee, we were confident that she was very good. But it’s been a hard path," Williams said.
"She has been in a lot of 1200 metre races and that's probably not her ideal distance. She is a 1400 to 1500 metre horse."
After two runs at the 1200 metres this time in, Subpoenaed relished the rise to the 1400 metres in the Golden Pendant and won in the manner of a mare who has much more to offer going forward.
Subpoenaed (NZ) after winning the G2 Golden Pendant
"She could be in training for another two years that mare, given that she is sound. She is a hardy Kiwi mare and it would be fun to see her do that. They are a great ownership group, and we are having a lot of fun with the two big mares. It's great to have these runners in big races on alternate weekends," he said.
This Saturday it is the turn of Verry Elleegant, who will contest the G1 Turnbull S. at Flemington as she builds towards her spring targets.
"We are forever grateful for what she has done for us. She is a cool horse and we are very lucky to be associated with her," Williams said.
"She is a horse that needs a bit to go right. She comes out and wins the Winx at 1400 metres and then gets held up at the wrong time in the mile last weekend. You just hope it goes to plan."
Verry Elleegant (NZ)
Consistent Crosshaven building his record
Williams also celebrated another stakes success on the weekend, having purchased the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Crosshaven (Smart Missile) for NZ$80,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka in partnership with Lindsay Park.
A half-brother to New Zealand Group 3 winner Killarney (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) out of the Group 2 victor Irish Colleen (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}), he has now won back-to-back stakes races having claimed the Listed Exford Plate for trainers Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig earlier this month.
"He is just a big strong horse and I love Smart Missile. I feel he is very much an underrated sire," Williams said.
"I love Smart Missile. I feel he is very much an underrated sire." - Andrew Williams
"Crosshaven is a horse that needed gelding early on and since then has been on the front foot. He's progressed very nicely but has to take another step in the Caulfield Guineas, against the next level of Ole Kirk, Mo'unga and the like. But it’s hard to fault him at the moment."
Crosshaven is one of a number of promising Lindsay Park 3-year-olds that Williams has an association with, which include smart G3 Quezette S. winner Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).
He has a small personal interest in the Dissident filly Aidensfield, a twice stakes placegetter this campaign who he purchased in partnership with Lindsay Park for $125,000 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
While the recent departure of patriarch David Hayes to Hong Kong may have represented a changing of the guard at Lindsay Park, Williams will still be very much involved with the extended Hayes family.
"I've got a great relationship with the Hayes family. I really respect them and it's been wonderful working so closely with Dave, and now Tom and Ben," he said.
"I've got a piece of Aidensfield and they are managing her so well. She will go three weeks into the Thousand Guineas. She probably needs a good barrier and some luck to be competitive, but she will be there and she's a consistent racehorse."
