Lloyd Williams has been acknowledged as one of the great racehorse owners of the modern era. He has owned or part owned five Melbourne Cup winners: Just A Dash (1981), What A Nuisance (1985), Efficient (2007), Green Moon (2012) and Almandin (2016). Williams also won the Caulfield Cup with Fawkner in 2013.
His champion Mahogany claimed eight group 1 races including the double of the Caulfield and Australian Guineas and the Victoria Racing Club and Australian Jockey Club Derbies as a three-year-old, and the Lightning Stakes in 1995 and 1997.
Lloyd Williams’ personal achievements are only matched by his contributions in the boardroom. He joined the Victoria Racing Club committee in 1990 determined to resurrect the prestige of the Melbourne Cup by making it a truly international race. Williams, along with fellow committee members have succeeded in maintaining the Melbourne Cup as a prestige event in modern day racing. He said after Almandin's win in 2016: ‘We couldn't even get a free-to-air telecaster who was prepared to cover the race. Yes, we had to turn things around before this event slipped away. But we knew that to internationalise this great race was going to be the answer we were all looking for.
Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
"It's attention to detail ... he just knows how to get a horse ready for that first Tuesday in November’ Canberra trainer Todd Smart, who spent two years working as a foreman for Williams." Read more here.
‘He's got it so down pat, down to the minute for those horses going into that race and that's where his business sense comes in – because it runs like clockwork and he has the horses ready to go for that race every year.’ Canberra trainer Todd Smart, who spent two years working as a foreman for Williams . Read more here.
His stables are the best run anywhere in the world.’ Graeme Rogerson, trainer (Sunday Herald Sun, 4 November 2007).
‘Lloyd was like a father to me when I rode for him. If you listened, you learned…’ Greg Hall, jockey, and stable rider for Williams for 15 years (Sunday Herald Sun, 4 November 2007).
‘He has lots of knowledge about racing and life and you just want to learn from him.’ Jockey Ben Melham. Read more here.
‘George Hanlon once told me if I keep buying young horses I will have something to look forward to in life. So, that is my hope, to get to 12 Melbourne Cup alongside Bart. I hope we are all here when I am 98 talking about my 12th Cup.’ Lloyd Williams after his fifth Melbourne Cup win. Read more here.
‘I love the race because I'm a Melburnian. I'm 76 and have been watching Melbourne Cups for 70 years. It's so much part of the sporting landscape.’ Lloyd Williams; October 2016.
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