Williams is a former Bathurst trainer who boasted a remarkable strike rate when her team used to call Tyers Park home.

She twice took out the biggest race of the year – ANZAC Day’s Soldiers Saddle – and was the first trainer to do the double with Knickerbocker Kid winning in 1999 and Colour City 10 years later.

Williams snared the 2009 Summer Cup with Life’s Too Short and in September that same year she even won the Gayna Williams Racing Stables Handicap with Sexyaz.

Her record earned her plenty of accolades, including being named the district’s Premier Trainer and Golden West Premier Trainer for the 2007-08 season.

Williams and her husband and stable foreman Frank moved from Bathurst to Grafton in 2011, but now the pair are back in the area.

Frank Williams was offered the chance to manage Gulgong’s Guntawang Stud and the pair found themselves back in familiar territory.

“Frank was offered the job as stud manager and it was a very, very good opportunity that we didn’t want to pass up,” Gayna Williams said.

“I liked the Northern Rivers, but in saying that, when Frank secured the position it was too good to pass up. Not long after that I got a phone call from a lady who wanted to lease our property at Grafton, so it all worked out well.

“It is a very good opportunity for us both. We are busy and really only see each other at the end of the day, but the property is amazing and the facilities are unbelievable.”

Gayna Williams is working her own team with six currently in preparation. 

One of those is a five-year-old called Toolbag who could line up in today’s Bathurst Glass Class 2 Handicap (1400 metres) at Tyers Park, the fourth race on the Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing Club’s card.

Whether or not the Redoute’s Choice x Strawberry Girl gelding lines up depends on the state of the track.

“He prefers a track which is a little softer, so I will have to get in touch with the owners and have a talk to them,” Williams said.

“I believe that horse goes very well, but he doesn’t like it too wet and he will jar up if it is too hard. He is a fussy animal.”

While fussy, Toolbag has showed the astute trainer promise in his 14 career starts thus far. 

In his last start he was fourth first up at Ballina on November 24 after a six-week spell, but was only just behind victor Feeling Naughty in a tight finish.

Prior to spelling Toolbag won at Grafton over 1000 metres, while he has raced against good company at Eagle Farm, Caulfield, Flemington and Randwick.

If Toolbag does not end up racing, Williams will still make the short trip to Bathurst to trial another member of her team – eight-year-old Adam x Shreve Port gelding Reece.

“After this trial he will be set for a race on the 21st [of December] at Canterbury,” Williams said.

“He’s been racing up in Brisbane, up the Northern Rivers. He’s just had a little bit of a disruption because we moved to Gulgong and probably needs a trial.

“He’s a nice horse, he’s probably what I’d term a bread and butter horse. He’s handy.”

Punters can also expect to see Williams supporting future meetings at Tyers Park should a race suitable for a member of her stables be scheduled.

“Bathurst has always had one of the best race tracks and I still have family in Bathurst as well,” she said.