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Live sport on SN this weekendWilliams goes out a winner
Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • August 29th, 2026 6:27 pm
Kylie Williams and her daughter, Rhiarn, embrace following Williams' victory in her final ride at Riccarton on Saturday | Photo: Race Images South
Ever-popular horsewoman Kylie Williams signed off her riding career with a fairytale ending, piloting the Shankar Muniandy-prepared What She Wants to win the aptly named Celebrating Kylie Williams (1800m) at Riccarton in her final raceday ride.
Williams, who had her first ride at the track on New Zealand Cup Day in 1996 as a fresh-faced 16-year-old, couldn’t have scripted a better moment as she racked up career win number 1,020 with a picture-perfect effort on the six-year-old daughter of Almanzor.
Retiring to take up the position of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s South Island Riding Mentor, Williams will have an ideal video to show her young audience at her first apprentice school session as she put What She Wants in an ideal position early in the race, sitting sixth on the outside before easing forward into contention around the home bend.
What She Wants and Speed Dial (Sima Mxothwa) went clear at the 250m to fight out the finish, with Williams sitting patiently before getting every ounce out of her mount in the last few bounds to score by a head, much to the delight of a large band of friends and family who had gathered to mark the occasion.
Williams showed she had kept her competitive streak until the very end as she described her actions in the closing stages of the contest.
“It’s turned out a bloody good day,” Williams said.
“I think everyone was riding for me during the race, although I had to politely tell Sima to f..off halfway down, which made him yell even louder at his horse, but I think it encouraged mine as well.
“Nine times out of 10 bad things can happen in this game, so when it does go right, you take the positives and run with them.
“It’s been a pretty special day and to get a winner is awesome. To do it for Shank (Muniandy), as we rode together, is pretty fitting.”
Williams starts her new job on Monday and while she may not be active in the saddle anymore, she will still have plenty to cheer on raceday with her son Logan (Bates) making every post a winner during his apprenticeship in the tough Victorian racing scene.
Bates travelled to New Zealand earlier in the year and captured his first Group One victory aboard Jigsaw in the Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie.
“Logan has a nice ride later on (at Caulfield) for Danny O’Brien, so hopefully he can get the win on her (Sass Appeal),” she said as her strong maternal instincts instantly moved the focus away from her success.
Amongst her 1,020 riding wins, Williams was successful 32 times at Group or Listed level and reached the milestone 1,000 wins when successful aboard Riviera Rebel in the North Canterbury Cup (2000m) at Riccarton last September.
