Lisa Williamson so proud of Celerity, a maiden no longer
Celerity's perfect demonstration of the value of perseverance is likely to live long in the memory of her trainer Lisa Williamson.
The seven-year-old was engaged in the Bet At racingtv.com Fillies' Handicap at Haydock on Friday, her 106th start in a career that had thus far been without a win.
This season's form had perhaps been leading up to a change in fortunes, however, with two successive placings in July paving the way to the six-furlong Haydock contest.
The betting market still only valued the mare as a 33-1 chance, odds she completely denied when storming home under apprentice Erika Parkinson and prevailing by a length and a quarter on the line.
Celerity is owned by Rick Heath, who was hosting a staff party at the evening meeting and had therefore requested that all of the horses run in his silks were entered.
“The owner on Friday had his staff do so he said ‘I want to enter all my horses, have a really good night out with them all there doing their best',” Williamson explained.
“Celerity ran over six furlongs, the ground went quite soft and I just said to Erika ‘jump and go, try to get a few lengths on them, you'll probably finish last but just see what happens' – and would you believe it?
“We've had her a good few years now, she's a real character.
“For some reason she always runs better in better races, she'll run well in a conditions race around Chester and a class four, but she can't win a banded race.”
Heath had aimed to reach 100 runs with his mare, but once that figure had been achieved he was inspired by her recent results to keep her in training for longer still.
“The owners are amazing, they tried to put her in foal, but she didn't take so they wanted to get to 100 runs with her,” Williamson said.
“The last couple of runs she's done really well, she's run some quite solid races so we thought we'd keep her going.
“She looks amazing, she has a fantastic life, she's in the field every day. I just think she looks like a female stallion, she's huge, a really big chunky sort.”
Celerity has provided valuable race-riding experience to 25 different apprentices so far and Williamson feels her it is due to the work of her staff that her horses are kept sound and happy throughout their busy careers.
“We try to give people a chance,” she said.
“We've got Red Stripes who's run 175 races and I think that's a credit to the staff and the yard that they keep getting turned out, turning up at the races and looking well and running well.
“They have a great life, they really do, they go out every single day of their lives and they just look really well.”
Williamson drove the horsebox to and from her Wrexham base and shared the occasion with her head girl of 27 years, Hazel Roberts.
“It was a great day,” she said.
“I was the box driver, it was my head girl, her dad and myself – it's all a big team effort.
“I'd say it was one of the best day's racing in my career, there was just something about that night.”
