Grant and Alana Williams chase fifth Northerly Stakes in last decade, Railway quinella lead their charge

Grant and Alana Williams will chase their fifth Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) victory in the last 10 years when they saddle up a team of three for the $1.5 million clash at Ascot on Saturday. The husband-wife combination are in hot form after quinella’ing the Railway Stakes with Watch Me Rock ($11) and Western Empire ($9) a fortnight ago. The two will be joined this time by Hemlock Stone ($91), however, it’s the Billy Egan-ridden Western Empire that will lead their hopes in the rich event, according to Grant Williams. “His work during the week was fantastic,” he said. “He’s aided by a good barrier draw (six) and we’ve set him for this race. This preparation, everything looks like it’s on track. “We bump into the three-year-old (King Of Light) and obviously Pikey’s on that, so it’s one to watch out for, but I’m pretty happy with my bloke and where he’s at. He looks fantastic.” William Pike rode Western Empire in the 2021 Northerly Stakes (then Kingston Town Classic) to a half-length second to Regal Power, which provided the Williams team with another top-line quinella. With Pike committing to King Of Light ($2.40f), top NSW hoop Nash Rawiller will jump aboard Watch Me Rock, who starts from barrier 16 and meets Western Empire 4kg worse for that three-quarter-length Railway win. “The draw was a little bit of a kick but anything outside of (gate) 10, you’ve got to go back,” Grant Williams said. “We’ll snag him early and ride him for one crack at them, much the same as Inspirational Girl when she ran second a couple of years ago. “Hopefully, we can get a few horses behind us. I think he’s gone to another level, so I’m really excited to see how Nash handles him and how he gets home.” Hemlock Stone has not been seen since finishing last of 11 in the Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) and has again been forgotten, similar to his Perth Cup success earlier this year when he triumphed at liberal odds. In-form jockey Austin Galati will have his first Group 1 steer in the race when he takes the mount. “We’ve got Austin on, which is a story in itself. If he was able to win a Northerly, I think (owner) Belhus Syndications would party for nearly two years,” Williams said. “Barrier seven, he’s got a good draw and is a month between runs, which is going to suit him. I didn’t give him much of a chance in the Perth Cup, so I wouldn’t write him off. “He’s a long price but he’s a ripping little horse who’s got a will to win. He’s tough, so it will be a great ride for Austin.”