Danny – Danny Williams Racing

Passion, zeal, dedication, patience and, above all, a strong, instinctive belief in your ability are the intrinsic ingredients when it comes to describing Danny Williams, trainer of the country-based Shelby Sixtysix racehorse, now known as ‘The People’s Horse’. In early 2022, Shelby Sixtysix went from average country horse to Group 1 winner, becoming the punters’ favourite everywhere for its performance in the famed TJ Smith Stakes sprint race.

Danny had a 15-year amateur riding career before turning professional at 29. Danny then went on to ride 48 winners in his first few months before suffering a debilitating back injury. Fast forward to today where, as a trainer, he has 48 boxes on course at Dubbo and 10 in Moruya.

“My father was a jockey . . . and my mother was a trainer in Wollongong, so the genes were certainly there for racing. At the age of 12, I eventually got the bug and transitioned into the horseracing industry, progressing from the ground level around the stables etcetera, eventually going on to become a jockey.”

A country man through and through, Danny enjoys nothing better than the country lifestyle and hospitality, living a relatively low-key existence with his family. A placid man, he is also forthright when it comes to his attitude about life: “I believe in doing things the right way every time: be honest and have integrity in everything you do.”