Apprentice jockey Sharni Webster celebrated her first metropolitan winner at Belmont on Wednesday, a milestone made even more special given her deep family ties to Western Australian racing royalty.
After watching her cousins, Chris Parnham and Steven Parnham boot home the first four winners, Webster made her own mark, guiding Hit The Jackpot to victory for trainer, Ryan Hill in the Schweppes Handicap (1000m).
Despite the gelding wanting to hang in the straight, Webster kept the five-year-old balanced and focused, guiding him in a straight line and allowing him to finish full of running, surging past the leader Ain’t No Other Man.
Sent out at $14, Ancient Guidance defied market expectations, scoring by 1 ¼ lengths from Ain’t No Other Man and improved his fresh record to three wins from five starts, underlining his ability to fire off a break.
Hill, a former jockey turned conditioner, was full of praise for Webster following her ride on Hit The Jackpot and given he can be a tricky horse to manage, he commended her composure and execution in the saddle.
“It’s brilliant for Sharni and you see how much it means for the people behind her as well,” Hill said.
“It’s fantastic.
“He’s a really tricky horse to ride and she rode him brilliantly.
“I said come out neutral because he can really fire up.
“He was laying in, but she stayed calm and didn’t panic, she just kept him balanced.
“She kept the forward momentum which was great.
“It was great to give her a winner today (Wednesday).”
Webster, still early into her apprenticeship, has been steadily building her reputation since her debut at Kalgoorlie on Good Friday and her first winner at York.
Her journey into racing is unique and her lineage reads like a roll call of WA turf royalty.
Her grandfather, Graeme Webster Sr, was a top jockey, her great-grandfather, Ted McAuliffe is a Hall of Fame trainer, her uncle, Neville Parnham, is the state’s most decorated trainer and her cousins, Steven, Brad and Chris are all accomplished jockeys.
Webster was thrilled to notch her first win in the city.
“I’m very happy,” Webster said.
“I just need to thank Hilly (Ryan); he’s been supporting me quite a bit.
“A big thanks to him.”
Webster’s cousins dominated the meeting with Chris Parnham striking a treble: Ginger Morpheus (R1), Zourun Run (R2) and My Authoriath (R4).
Steven Parnham chimed in on Saam Time Lucky (R3).
Julio Santarelli