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'Gear change' to bring out best in Danny's Prince (Sapphire Coast Sunday)

For the third time in his training career, Danny Williams has prepared the winners of more than $1 million in prizemoney in a season and with the last week of the racing year on our doorstep he could add to that record.

Trainer DANNY WILLIAMS.
Trainer DANNY WILLIAMS. Picture: Steve Hart

Williams has experienced one of his most meteoric racing periods courtesy of the inspiring story behind Shelby Sixtysix.

The Goulburn conditioner will have four starters at the Sapphire Coast on Sunday with promising gelding Prince Nicconi resuming racing.

He will also start Bella Broadway, Rent A Rock and stable newcomer Ribeauville in the Benchmark 58 (1200m).

Shelby Sixtysix is living proof of what can sometimes happen in racing when you least expect it graduating from lower grade races to Group 1 glory.

Williams motto is to try and get the best out of every horse he trains and in Prince Nicconi he has another test case.

The three-year-old, raced by a large syndicate of well known racing identities, indicated what he has to offer with consecutive victories at Wagga and Goulburn earlier this year.

The son of Nicconi has been gelded since his last start when he finished third behind Shelby Sixtysix and Devil's Triangle at Randwick in February.

Williams said Prince Nicconi needed to be gelded to ensure he could reach his maximum potential as a racehorse.

"He has always shown ability but needed to be gelded as he wasn't completely focused. He has come back a lot better mentally," he suggested.

"In his two wins on top of the ground, he didn't really want to go past horses.

"His last start in a Highway he was beaten by two exceptional wet track horses and he isn't at his best on that type of surface."

Prince Nicconi has trialled once for his return when he finished more than 17 lengths from the winner.

The track at the Sapphire Coast is rated a soft seven and Williams said despite not being an ideal surface and the galloper needing the run, Prince Nicconi needed to start racing again.

"He is going to need the run being first-up and his chances depend on how the track is," he said.

"I was going to start him a week later in Sydney, but the track will be wet there as well."

Kembla Grange maiden winner Chiranjeev is one of six horses in the nine-horse field resuming.

Bold Offa showed potential last campaign with consecutive victories at Wagga and Canberra, but is also unknown under race conditions on a wet track.

The lightly raced three-year-old has won three trials, the latest this campaign when he beat Lawyer's Delight and Ten Bells at Canberra.

Meanwhile, Williams has a leaning towards Bella Broadway of his three starters with a watch on Ribeauville in the Benchmark 58. Bella Broadway has won three of her 13 starts with her latest victory at Queanbeyan in January one of the best victories seen at that course this season.

Ribeauville won his maiden at Hawkesbury in December when he was prepared in Sydney by Jason Coyle.

The galloper ran third and Bella Broadway fifth in a recent trial at Moruya.

Rent A Rock also resumes racing after a freshen up finishing second at his final two starts in May.

"Ribeauville has drawn wide, but I don't think the gate is a problem," he said.

"He could find the race a touch short for him and will be better for the start.

"Bella Broadway has come back well, but given her racing pattern of getting back it's going to be a tough ask."

Williams is hopeful the lightly raced Sydney winner Bandi's Boy can develop into what he believes when he resumes racing in the coming weeks.

Bandi's Boy has raced twice for a win and a fifth at Randwick in April.

"He will trial at Goulburn on Friday and I'm hoping he can go well enough when he starts racing again to gain a run in The Kosciusko," he said.


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