Craig Williams to ride smart import Craig in Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield

Two Craigs could be better than one in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.

Craig will be aboard Craig in the promising import’s biggest test in Saturday’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield.

Craig Williams will ride Craig for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, replacing Luke Currie, who had ridden the gelding at his previous two runs this time in.

Young said Craig’s low weight (53.5kg) was the sole reason for the jockey change.

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“Luke can’t do those weights so we had to book Craig,” Young said.

Currie steered Craig to a first-up win in a Benchmark 78 race at Caulfield on August 31 before the four-year-old acquitted himself well when jumping sharply in class when second in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes on September 28.

The son of Territories will have his first crack at the top level in Saturday’s $1m event.

Young said performing well in the Toorak Handicap would be the perfect springboard into the $10m Golden Eagle in Sydney three weeks later.

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“The Toorak is always a tough, hard race but you can’t win in it if you’re not in it,” she said.

“It would then leave him three weeks into Golden Eagle.

“When you’ve got to take them up to Sydney, it’s nice to have that extra week to just get that freshness back into their legs.”

Craig will run in the Toorak Handicap with Craig Williams aboard on his way to a possible crack at the $10m Golden Eagle in Sydney. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Drawing barrier 12 in the 13-horse Toorak Handicap field might not be the worst thing for Craig’s chances of his first stakes win.

Young said Craig raced best when allowed to settle without early pressure in his races, adding the veteran of only seven starts had the acceleration required to figure in the finish.

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“I think he’s a horse that is better ridden midfield and he’s got that electric turn of foot,” Young said.

“I think it takes that away from him if he’s up front under pressure.

“He’s got to build into eventually and when he does go, he’s got that explosive turn of foot that he’s shown in his last few races.

“If he brings that again, he’ll be competitive and right there.”

Ladbrokes rated Craig as a $10 chance in its early Toorak Handicap betting in which Another Wil, who has won his last two starts, is the $2.90 favourite.

Queensland galloper Antino is a $5 chance to go one better than his narrow defeat to Attrition in last year’s race.

Originally published as Craig Williams to ride smart import Craig in Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield