Twist of fate pays dividends for Williams

Fri, July 16 2010

DARWIN trainer Lynne Williams celebrated a dream Ladies' Day when Last Frontier won Wednesday's $35,000 Bridge Toyota Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay.

The eight-year-old produced a tough, front-running display under renowned jockey Paul Denton which resulted in a length success over a gallant Bennett's Lane.

Yesterday's victory was the affable trainer's first in the race, but what made it even more special was the fact if not for a broken leg suffered by Williams' partner Tom Pike in April, it wouldn't have happened.

Pike had planned on taking Last Frontier with him on his annual trip to Broome, but the son of Scenic threw him off at trackwork to ensure the Kimberley adventure was off.

"Talk about a lucky break," Williams joked. "No-one wanted to ride him for a little while after Tom broke his leg, so we changed a few things with his routine and they have really seemed to work."

There's no doubt about that as Last Frontier has turned around a career that had gone off the boil before this preparation, winning three of his last four starts.

"We've done a lot of lunging work with him, a heap really, and there's been a real team effort by everyone at the stable to get him right," Williams said.

But it appears as though the Metric Mile, usually the free pass on offer for the Toyota Cup winner, won't be available to Last Frontier, who wasn't nominated for the July 24 race.

"We never really thought that far ahead for him," Williams said.

For Denton, Last Frontier was his second feature success in as many race days, having saluted in the Chief Minister's Cup aboard Shout Out Loud on Saturday.

And in an advertisement that shows when you're hot, you're hot - Last Frontier proved a late pick-up ride for the renowned hoop.

Story Courtesy Gregor Mactaggart - NT News