WA’s greatest racing dynasty will look to etch further history on the honour roll of WA’s pre-eminent race this Saturday at Ascot when the Parnham brothers line up in the Group 1 $1.5 million Swan Draught Railway Stakes (1600m).
Jockeys Steve, Brad and Chris Parnham — sons of Hall of Fame trainer Neville — will all fill the starting gates at 4.56pm dreaming of victory in the State’s most prestigious event.
For eldest brother Steve, the emotions will be slightly different after realising a childhood dream by winning last year’s contest for his father with Bustler.
The son of champion stallion Playing God, who too was trained by Neville and ridden by Steve throughout his career, ripped away in the 2023 edition with Steve saluting triumphantly.
“It was a mixture of relief and satisfaction of achieving my racing dream. It’s our most prestigious race on our calendar, I feel, and our toughest race to win,” Steve said.
“When it all came together in the last 100m of that race where I could feel that I had it in my hands, it was an overwhelming feeling to finally go to the line and finally fulfil the dream.
“Also, to do it for Dad, who had never won the race either, it was a good moment for the family.
“It’s been a very tough race for anyone to win and he hadn’t been able to in his training career that has been very successful, so he was able to tick that off last year and he’s got another two good chances this year.”
Though Bustler again appears as a $19 TABtouch hope, Steve wrestled with the tortorous choice of deciding between the 2023 hero and Neville’s rising tyro Zipaway ($8.50) before siding with the gifted youngster.
“It was a very difficult decision to split two very good horses in a Group 1 race like this, but I went with the horse that was on the minimum – 53kg – and is a four-year-old, both criteria that fit the record of the race the last few years,” Steve said.
“He’s a horse that will be suited by the distance and he’s quite a tough animal, so if the pressure’s on, I think he’ll relish the challenge.
“He’s had a very good preparation leading into it and you need a lot of things to go right in the race; you need the right run and all the ingredients to fit correctly.
“It’s going to take a bit of good fortune, but if it does, he’s the right horse that can do it.”
Steve, a renowned form student, said last year’s win was made all the more sweet by his assessment proving correct and would spend the remaining hours analysing the race.
“I do a lot of homework. I study a lot of replays, I do a bit of speed maps and planning on how different scenarios may unfold in the race, I visualise different outcomes of positions I could find myself in, and just get myself in the right shape physically and mentally for the day,” Steve said.
“It’s going to be a busy one and it’ll be over in no time, so all we can do is prepare in the best way.”
Middle sibling Brad has seen Steve and his father claim the ultimate triumph at the elite level on many occasions, hoping he too can now register the crowning glory of race riding.
“It’d be great for me just to get a Group 1, really. I’ve placed a few times and I’ve never won one and never quite had the right horse peaking at the right time,” Brad said.
“Hopefully this year I might get two or three chances to have a crack at it.
“It’s always been our premier race and it’s a race we’ve always wanted to win.
“It was great to see Dad and Steve win it last year, so it’s something I’d like to achieve.”
He steers Magnificent Andy ($26), who starts from the prized No. 1 barrier after a close-up third behind Casino Seventeen ($15) in the Lee Steere Stakes.
“He’s a handy chance and the low draw will help him as well. His runs have progressively gotten better, especially his last two, and I thought his run the other day was really good,” Brad said.
“We were probably stuck on inferior ground on the inside, so it was a nice effort.
“He has had a tendency to not jump cleanly at times and I probably got stuck in the same routine doing the same thing with him all the time.
“I might just change things up with him in the Railway and see if I can trick him into jumping better because once you get into those races, you can’t afford to be missing the kick.”
Unlike his older brother’s restless calculations, Brad takes a more laidback approach to riding on big days in an attempt to distance himself from the high-octane racing environment.
“I just take it pretty easy, to be honest. I didn’t take too many rides on the day – I wanted to make sure I would be fresh enough for the big ones – so I think I’ve only got six rides on the day,” Brad said.
“Friday, I’d just like to hang out with my little nephew and take it easy, take my mind off racing and keep my mind fresh.
“Once I wake up Saturday morning, I’ll be ready to go.”
Brad will have the ‘luxury’ of riding at 55kg while Chris, the youngest of the trio, must shed his way down to the minimum weight in order to ride mare Super Smink ($11), who rebounded into the winners’ list with success in the Asian Beau last start.
“I’ll just poke around at home and won’t do a lot. I’ve got to ride 53kg, so I have to cut a bit of weight before Saturday, but that’ll just be eating well and having early nights to be in as good a shape as I can for Saturday,” Chris said.
“She obviously went off a bit last prep, but this prep, she’s come back similar to what she was as a two-year-old, so we’re really happy going into the race.
“Every WA jockey wants to win a Railway and I’ve probably got one of my better chances going into it, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Despite his fierce competitiveness, Chris was undoubtedly proud of the life-long accomplishment of both his brother and father from 12 months ago.
“That was special to see them win that. Dad’s been a trainer for 40 years and hadn’t been able to win it and Stevie, that race had eluded him and all of us ‘til last year,” Chris said.
“It’d be nice to keep it in the family this year, hopefully with me, though, this time.”