His countryman, Damien Oliver, was also at the English festival, coming close to snaring a big race win in one of the biggest handicaps of the season, the Wokingham Stakes.

Meanwhile, their colleague, Dwayne Dunn, was at home in the Melbourne midwinter, booting home a Saturday Moonee Valley treble to stake his claim to the jockeys' premiership while his rivals were chasing riches overseas.

Fast forward to Saturday, and while Brazen Beau will still be shooting for the stars in a major European race when he contests the Group One July Cup at Newmarket, he will be doing so without Williams. The horse, having been bought by Godolphin, will now be partnered by one of the stable's English-based riders, James Doyle, in the 1200 metre speed test.

Williams, along with Oliver and Dunn, will be in action on Winter Finals series day at headquarters when the battle for the jockeys title will reach a crescendo.

During the off-season there often isn't a lot to get excited about on track as most of the well known horses are spelling or preparing for the spring, although this fixture is a genuine highlight.

Still, the three-cornered battle for the premiership has certainly added a level of interest that isn't always evident at this time of the year.

Dunn tops the standings with 51 winners, Williams - who missed last weekend through suspension - is next on 50, with Oliver one behind on 49. After Flemington's fixture this weekend there are another six designated metropolitan meetings - although two of them, at Warrnambool on Sunday and Bendigo on June 22 - are being held at provincial tracks.

All three contestants go into this weekend with a strong book of rides, and all three have engagements in all nine races. Oliver and Williams are multiple previous champions, but for Dunn, success this season would be a first Victorian metro title.