Mr Brightside and Williams ready for another Memsie Stakes tilt

Craig Williams is aware that the remarkable journey with Mr Brightside is finite, yet he expresses enthusiasm for commencing a sixth Spring Carnival campaign with the gelding.

The accomplished jockey will once again team up with the nine-year-old, prepared by the training team of Ben, Will, and JD Hayes, for this Saturday's $750,000 Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.

This 1400-metre weight-for-age event saw Williams and Mr Brightside achieve success in 2023, and they have subsequently finished as runners-up for the past two years.

Saturday will represent Williams' 45th engagement on the Bullbars colt, on whom he has secured 18 victories. These triumphs include the Memsie Stakes, a sequence of three Makybe Diva Stakes wins, two Futurity Stakes, a Doncaster Mile, and an Orr Stakes, all at the pinnacle of racing.

"I've been lucky to ride 90 Group 1 winners in my career, and I've ridden some phenomenal horses, but I've won more Group 1 races on him than any other horse.

"That just tells you what he means to me.

"The other part that makes it so special is that I was part of his development. I won his maiden on him and was part of his placement and his development to be that horse.

"He didn't just step out and become a Group 1 horse.

"The (Hayes) boys have just managed him so well and I'm looking forward to him being back at the racetrack."

Following a recent track gallop at Sandown where Café Millenium shaded him, some speculated that his racing career might be drawing to a close. Nevertheless, both Williams and the Hayes brothers conveyed their contentment with the horse's showing.

Similar doubts surfaced prior to last year's Memsie Stakes after a seemingly uninspiring final jumpout. However, Mr Brightside responded by finishing ahead of all rivals except Treasurethe Moment in Victoria's opening Group 1 race of the season, preceding a third consecutive Makybe Diva Stakes victory.

Williams drew attention to the fact that Mr Brightside has not raced since his fifth-place finish in the Champions Mile at Flemington last November, supporting his conviction that the gelding is in good form.

"My job is to ride him on raceday, in trials and a couple of gallops and he's never been an impressive worker," Williams commented. "He has worked better before, but he's never been what you would say is an impressive worker and he has had a little bit longer layoff this time. He seems like he's going really well."

Mr Brightside is aiming to become the 12th horse to win the Memsie Stakes multiple times. He also has the chance to be the second to achieve this feat in non-consecutive years, following Sir Boom (1996/99).

The Memsie Stakes last year pitted seven individual Group 1 winners against each other, and this year's edition presents a similarly strong field. Among the 17 nominations are Treasurethe Moment, Jimmysstar, Autumn Boy, Beiwacht, and Cosmic Crusader, all Group 1 victors, alongside another 12 elite contenders.

For those keen on the Memsie Stakes, exploring online bookmakers will provide access to the latest betting markets.