Tim Williams drives Have Faith In Me (13) to victory in the 2015 Auckland Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell
Tim Williams likes going to work on New Year's Eve.
Which is handy because he knows better than anybody how much he has that work cut out for him in tomorrow's $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Trotting Cup.
Williams is the 28-year-old third-string driver for the all-conquering All Stars stables, which means his driving career can take some unusual twists and turns. Take tomorrow's Cup for example. Williams would be watching from the driver's room had boss Mark Purdon not been suspended for 26 days but instead he is driving the slightly mad Heaven Rocks.
Just six days ago Williams partnered Auckland Cup red hot favourite Vincent to win at Cambridge, but tomorrow co-trainer Natalie Rasmussen jumps back on, leaving Williams knowing exactly what he is up against.
But you never hear Williams moan about his role in harness racing's biggest stable. "I have had some amazing opportunities, like driving Vincent last Sunday, so I know better than most how hard he will be to beat this week," says Williams.
"But I can't worry about him, I have my own job to do."
Williams is good at doing his job on New Year's Eve, with two of the richest wins of his career coming at the year ender.
He won the Auckland Cup two years ago on Have Faith In Me, a drive Purdon could easily have taken for himself but instead he waited for a successful Williams appeal hearing before staying loyal to the young man. Williams piloted the same horse to win the Sales Series Pace on New Year's Eve the previous year.
"New Year's Eve at The Park has been a happy hunting ground for me," he smiles. "And I'm lucky to have some good drives again."
Heaven Rocks and Williams have a hate-love relationship: He hates the fact they have combined four times for exactly no wins but Williams would love to change that.
Their latest disaster was in the Franklin Cup two weeks ago when Heaven Rocks galloped, led, hung badly and then galloped again.
"Mark has been here working him this week and I hope he can do his magic but a lot with him depends on his body language on the day, he is just that sort of horse.
"My first job is to get him away and then I hope we can get around them and make a race of it with Vincent because it would make for a great spectacle."
So can the star he drives tomorrow beat the superstar he drove last Sunday?
"Um, maybe. But it will be very, very hard for us to beat him."
Not so hard is tomorrow's $100,000 National Trot, which has been ravaged by drop outs over the last two months to the point where there look to be three serious winning hopes. One of those is Kyvalley Blur, the Victorian veteran who Williams drove to beat Speeding Spur fair and square at Cambridge last Sunday.
There wasn't a lot between the pair but Kyvalley Blur outstayed his more favoured rival and the 2700m mobile gives him a shot at doing so again, although their career records suggest Speeding Spur is still the better horse.
"He trotted beautifully last Sunday and I can't see why he couldn't win again but it might come down to who has the luck out of my fella, Speeding Spur and Temporale, who is going well too," says Williams.
Add in A Lister (race one), Stress Factor (race three), The Devils Own (race seven), Delight In Me (race eight) and Ashley Locaz (race 12) and it would surprise if Williams didn't leave Alexandra Park a New Year's Eve winner again.
Which would be the perfect way to end a tough year during which he missed 12 weeks in the sulky after shoulder surgery and came back short on confidence and in need of some time back out on the track.
"It was hard coming back and maybe my timing was just a bit off and I was struggling to win races."
That fact is impossible to deny, Williams has driven just five winners this season but 20 second placings, and that figure would be even more disproportionate if it wasn't for last Sunday's double. "It was very frustrating but last week's double came just at the right time and and is a nice confidence boost."
Right on cue for Tim's time - New Year's Eve.
Where: Alexandra Park, Auckland.
When: Tomorrow, first race 2.04pm, Auckland Cup at 7.35pm.
What: $250,000 Auckland Cup, $230,000 Sales Series Pace, $150,000 Sires' Stakes Fillies Championships, $100,000 National Trot.
The punt: $150,000 guaranteed Pick6; $20,000 guaranteed quaddies; drivers challenge, head to head markets.
Watch: TAB trackside.