When Craig Williams fielded a call from trainer Clayton Douglas, he was expecting news about his Everest winner Giga Kick.
While there was some conversation about the rising four-year-old, Douglas wanted to know the jockey’s availability for a couple of unraced two-year-olds in his team.
A gelding by Lean Mean Machine with the name Title Fighter was discussed and the unraced youngster made a winning debut in the Ladbroke It! Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
With Williams aboard, Title Fighter ($18) led throughout in scoring a long neck win from Epic Proportions ($6) with Prinzerro ($5) a length away third.
“I remember being in Spain and I got a phone call from Clayton, and I thought it would be all about Giga Kick, but he brought up about two two-year-olds and this was one of them,” Williams said.
“I watched the replays and asked, ‘is he just fast’? and he said no, ‘he’s fast and good’.
“It was a good training effort from Clayton. He brought the horse here on Tuesday morning, he put blinkers on him, but he had no favours from the draw.
“Because he had him fit and he’s fast, he was able to sustain that speed throughout.”
Douglas does not have expensive yearlings in his stable with stable star Giga Kick, a son of Scissor Kick who now stands in Tunisia.
He said he treats his horses as they appear, but with his staff they can give a little extra attention.
“In my stable we don’t have the big, high-priced yearlings, the Exceed And Excel’s etc,” Douglas said.
“We’ve put the time into him, and I have to pay a big credit to my team at home.
“I’ve got a good bunch behind me and to get a win like this with a new client is great.
“He’s a fast horse, but he knew what his job was all about.
“He had a bit of a gawk around on Tuesday and it looked like he floated a bit until that horse got to the back of him, but then he finished it off nicely.”
Douglas said he has no extravagant plans with Title Fighter in the weeks ahead but hopes to return to town in coming weeks to keep the winning run going.