Former Goffs UK managing director sheds six stone to make licensed race-riding return at age of 62 in Australia

Former Goffs UK managing director Tony ‘Tubba’ Williams made a unique return to race-riding at the age of 62 in Australia on Friday having shed six stone this year to take out a licence.

Williams first rode in his native Australia in the late 1970s, winning four of his 19 starts as an apprentice, and later landed five races on the Australian point-to-point circuit in 1982-83.

He rode in point-to-points in Britain in 2019 after a 36-year break and won a charity race at Aintree in the same year.

Williams obtained an official licence for the first time in more than 40 years after riding in ten barrier trials and achieved a best-place third from his mounts at Bong Bong racecourse in New South Wales.

He told The Sydney Morning Herald: “I needed motivation to lose weight and I needed a goal – and that was Bong Bong.

“I lost nearly a stone a month in April, May, June and July by cutting out sugar. That was really hard because I have a sweet tooth and all I had was some honey occasionally.

“I started walking, and now I’m up to training for an hour and a half a day in sweat gear and riding trackwork.

“It has been a heck of a journey. Bong Bong is a meeting everyone knows, and I have wanted to ride there for years.”

Tony Williams: was back in the saddle in point-to-points in Britain in 2019Credit: Goffs UK/Twitter

Williams, who works at Newgate Farm as a director of stallions, stressed the bloodstock world will remain his focus but he intends to continue race-riding.

He said: “This is not a career change, but next year I’m going on the road in outback Queensland and Western Australia and I would like to ride out there with the horses I bought.

“The aim will be to end up at Broome and pay for the petrol and expenses with the horses.”

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