By Jonny Turner
Harry Stamper’s rivals faced harness racing Armageddon when the trotter loomed ominously on the home turn in his impressive winning debut at Winton on Thursday.
Well-drilled by trainer-driver Phil Williamson and after a perfect rehearsal, stylishly winning his latest trial, the two-year-old rocketed around the home turn to set up an impressive victory.
Williamson played a starring role in the win, making a rare appearance centre stage in the driver’s seat, to rein home the horse he named after the lead character in the 1998 film Armageddon.
An oil driller by trade, Harry Stamper heroically saves humankind by detonating a nuclear weapon which he and his crew drilled into an asteroid bound for earth, as his crew flies away and the world watches on.
“I am a fan of the movie alright, no doubt,” Williamson said.
“I was reduced to tears in the end, I am a bit of a softy for that sort of thing.”
“When the young fella (in the movie) said ‘Harry Stamper – all go, no quit’ I thought it wouldn’t be a bad name for a horse.”
Like the character he is named after, Harry Stamper looks like he is made for bigger moments than a maiden win on a Thursday afternoon at Winton.
“He is quite a nice horse, he has good got manners, good breeding and a good gait.”
Williamson and wife Bev appear to have struck oil in their search to add to their already impressive broodmare band.
Harry Stamper was followed across the line by Dwindle Star, a three-year-old full sister to the two-year-old winner.
Bev Williamson co-bred and races both horses and also owns their dam Dwindle Mist.
The broodmare won six races from Williamson’s stable including her debut at Waikouaiti in 2013 with Phil Williamson in the sulky.
The trainer also thinks Dwindle Star has the potential to add further accomplishments to her dam’s record.
“She’s also got good manners and a good gait, they’ll do a job for sure.”
The Williamson stable also produced the fourth placegetter in Thursday’s race in Pyramid Mystic.
Phil Williamson also trained her dam – 10-race winner Pyramid Monarch.
