The pair have an association stretching back to Keating's days as an apprentice and have enjoyed some good success over those years.

Albeit, in Williams' words: "Not so much in recent years."

But the pair was able to turn back the clock and combine for a win with the modest five-year-old mare Shakhani, who broke her maiden over the 2000-metres at start number 14.

Despite only one previous placing, also over the 2000m at Wangaratta last November, both trainer and jockey admitted they were surprised to see the daughter of Dalakhani, who was having her fourth start this preparation, at such long odds.

"She's been running well and I was very surprised she was at that price," Keating said.

"She hadn't been placed, but she'd shown glimpses in her last few runs.

"She's a lovely little mare, who just tries her guts out, and everything worked out perfect for her (on Sunday).

"It was good to get a winner for Tony, I have ridden for him since I was an apprentice, on and off.

"He does a really good job with horses and he still rides his own work.

"It's always good to get a winner up for good people and Tony and his wife Sue are certainly terrific people."

It was a timely win for Keating, who recently turned 50, and will be sidelined for the next few weeks while recovering from surgery on Monday to correct his deviated septum.

The condition was one of the lingering effects of a serious race fall in 2013 at Kyneton, when the experienced jockey suffered serious injuries after being dislodged from Many Doves.

READ MORE: Jockey John Keating remains in serious condition after race fall

He hopes to be back in the saddle for the three-day Swan Hill Cup Carnival on June 10-12, when Shakhani will in all likelihood have her next start.

Plans to run the mare in the 2400m maiden on day two of the carnival were surprisingly kiboshed by Sunday's win.

A 100-1 winner was by no means a first for Keating, who proudly declared he rides 'every horse as if it's an odds-on pop' but it was for Williams.

The 68-year-old was 'pretty sure' his previous longest shot winner was the $54 chance Creek Artist at Seymour, roughly 20-years ago.

While not confident Shakhani could break her maiden on Sunday, the combination of a soft 5 track and a luckless last start at Mildura four weeks previously saw Williams rate his mare as a top-five hope.

"We just had one of those days where she got a nice sit early because she drew (barrier) three, picked up a nice spot and Johnny just gave her a nice ride the whole way through. It was just one of the days when everything works out," he said.

"She's always a chance, she's by Dalakhani and once you get over a ground that's a bit soft she's in everything.

"But they need the race run for them these types of horses.

"She's just a really lovely honest horse and Johnny gave her a peach of a ride.

"He's been riding for me for 30 years. I used to have a few more horses than I have now and Johnny was always my go-to rider and rode most all of my horses, but then he went overseas a bit.

"He's a much-underrated jockey, John. I can't remember the last time he gave one of my horses a bad ride."

Williams, a trainer for more than 40-years, is hoping the lightly-raced Shakhani can mature into a reasonably consistent type of stayer.

"Being a Dalakhani, 2000m is pretty much their starting point," he said.

"It's not a bad effort to win a month between runs over 2000m.

"She was going on with it today (Sunday) and not weakening to the line, so I'm hoping she gets over 2400m and 2500m.

"It gives her a chance to have a bit of a nice career."

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