Williams keeps title lead with Zakayla win

Wednesday 20 May 2015, 5:10pm

Craig Williams has consolidated his position at the top of the Melbourne jockeys' premiership with the impressive win of imported mare Zakayla at Mornington.

Williams, with 44 winners for the season, leads Dwayne Dunn and Damien Oliver on 42 and will be looking to further enhance his chances of collecting a fifth premiership when he rides at Flemington on Saturday.

He then goes to Brisbane to ride during the winter carnival before returning to Melbourne to concentrate on another premiership.

However if the right offer comes for some overseas travel he will not hesitate to pack his bags.

"Hopefully I can make the most of Saturday and work from there," Williams said.

"I've got nice rides in a couple of nice races up in Brisbane coming up, so I'll head up there after Saturday and see how we go.

"The premiership is one thing I would like to chase but if something comes up, like going to (Royal) Ascot or something like that, I'd be off.

"You want to be competing at the big Group Ones around the world but while I'm home the premiership is a priority."

Williams went into Wednesday's meeting confident about Zakayla in the Positive Move Handicap (1600m) and wasn't let down with the $2.50 favourite scoring an easy 3-3/4 length win.

He said the daughter of Aklaam had developed both mentally and physically since the spring where she was successful over 2000m at Ballarat before a break.

She resumed with a first-up win at Geelong over 1400m last month and Williams said she would be even better when she learns to relax.

"Getting on this type of ground we were confident," Williams said.

"She had no weight and was very well placed against the other mares and she is definitely on the way up."

Trainer Robert Smerdon said Zakayla was capable of winning a nice race but he would resist the temptation of aiming too high too soon.

– AAP

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