Peter and Dawn Williams have had an outstanding strike rate over the last few weeks, and the Byerley Park trainers will try to continue their high-flying form with a single shot at Group Two success at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Volare will be the only runner all weekend for the Williams team, lining up in the Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares. The TAB rated her a $7 third favourite on Friday afternoon in a market headed by Pearl Of Alsace ($2.40) and Campionessa ($2.70).
Leading into Saturday, the Williams stable has recorded five wins from just their last 16 runners, culminating in Desert Lightning’s win in the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham last Saturday.
Peter Williams is upbeat about Volare’s prospects of continuing that run in this weekend’s $175,000 feature.
The Proisir mare has been admirably consistent throughout her 11-race career, collecting three wins, four placings and three fourths. She knuckled at the start in a 1400m Rating 75 at Pukekohe on November 7, but recovered impressively to finish into second place behind Flamebird.
In her only appearance since then, Volare won a 1600m Rating 75 at Pukekohe on November 25, beating Reputation and Cal Isuzu Stakes rival Polygon.
“She’s done really well in those last couple of starts and we’re very happy with her,” Williams said. “We’ve always liked her, and we decided to have a crack at this race because it’s a stakes race for fillies and mares and it’s not far away from us.
“We were originally working towards the Dunstan Stayers’ Championship Final (2400m), but we decided to throw in a nomination for this race and see what else was there. As it turns out, if you take the top couple of mares out of it, it’s probably a Rating 75 race. Outside of those two favourites, the rest of them seem to be pretty even, so it’s a nice opportunity to run for a bit of black type and see how we go.
“We’re very happy with the mare. Everything’s fine with her and she’s been working really well.”
Volare has the chance to extend an outstanding run of success for owner-breeder Daniel Nakhle, whose colours have also been carried by standout three-year-old Crocetti through a perfect six-from-six career that includes victories in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) and Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). A daughter of the stakes-performed Pins mare Sans Souci, Volare was bred by Nakhle in partnership with his father Elias. Nakhle’s co-owners include the Sundgren Trust and former prime minister Sir John Key.
