‘I just have to work harder’: Suspension no hindrance as champion jockey Craig Williams zeros in on premiership race

Champion jockey Craig Williams may have incurred an untimely suspension on Saturday but he has vowed to pull out all the stops to chase down the injured Blake Shinn in the race for a 10th Melbourne premiership.

Jockey Craig Williams celebrates his Flemington win aboard She's an Artist. Picture: Vince Caligiuri / Getty Images

Champion jockey Craig Williams has zeroed in on the pursuit of a 10th Melbourne premiership.

Williams started a 14-day careless riding suspension on Sunday but has 58 races across seven city meetings next month to wipe an eight-win deficit on sidelined premiership leader Blake Shinn (foot).

“I want to win a championship so I’m working hard, I’ll be at all the tracks,” Williams said.

“I was very saddened by that (suspension) but that’s the rules of racing … I just have to work harder.”

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

If successful in the premiership race, Williams could join Damien Oliver on 10 premierships.

Roy Higgins and Bill Duncan share the record with 11 Melbourne titles.

Shinn, stranded on 67 city winners, was poised to win his second premiership in three seasons and third overall before an untimely foot injury last month.

Williams moved to 59 winners last Saturday with a double at Flemington.

She's An Artist shares a resemblance to a certain sprinter & she might share some of that ability... 👩‍🎨

The bald-faced filly trounces her opposition under hands & heals.@[e-mail]/Aavk6Bmdwa

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 21, 2025

• ‘Huge team effort’: Paynes revel in landmark four-timer

“It’s been a great season, won five Group 1s, The Everest, I’ve won a Hong Kong Derby,” Williams said.

“It’s been an amazing season and when we’re in the position that we are, and we’re only in this position because of Blake Shinn’s unfortunate injury … he’s very dominant.

“This is really special to us (premierships) but again it’s a goal, nothing better than … having goals and challenges, you turn up, you know what you want to do.

“It doesn’t matter what the weather is, what the horses are, we try and get the best out of them to hopefully be lucky enough to win 10 championships.”

🏇🇦🇺🇺🇦
Hello everyone, Larysa and I would like to share our latest Ukraine update in 2024.

Once again, we want to thank everyone for their ongoing support.

If you would like to contribute, go to my website https://t.co/F8V253bdcF

Full video - https://t.co/qoJCibRg8vpic.twitter.com/GITVIHHbzc

— Craig Williams (@CWilliamsJockey) October 24, 2024

• ‘Zachariah The Electrifier’: The jockey targeting darts glory

Williams has pushed back a planned humanitarian aid mission to Ukraine to pursue the premiership.

“It’s important, the work we do here, 10 per cent goes to Ukraine,” Williams said.

“My wife is helping me try and win the championship and once we get the next eight (winners) we’ll go to Ukraine and deliver the humanitarian aid.”

Williams rode Taken and the most impressive She’s An Artist to victory last Saturday at Flemington.

She’s An Artist, trained by Ciaron Maher, “broke them” in slick time – fastest sectionals on the card in the last race – at only her second start and first time down the Flemington straight.

🎨 She’s An Artist paints the perfect finish in the last!@[e-mail]/xfvx7iZihD

— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) June 21, 2025

“She felt like everything we hoped she was going to be,” Williams said.

“The exciting part is she’s only going to get better … all going well, like we always need, she’s a really untapped, high potential filly.”

She’s An Artist is set for the Listed Creswick Sprint Series Final (1200m) on July 5 at Flemington.

Williams is eligible to return to the saddle on July 6, with a midweek meeting at Sandown on July 9 his next opportunity to build on his metropolitan winners’ tally.

Originally published as ‘I just have to work harder’: Suspension no hindrance as champion jockey Craig Williams zeros in on premiership race