Chris Parnham rides Lite’N In My Veins in A.J. Scahill Stakes

The Fred Kersley trained Lite’N In My Veins will have a change of jockey for the first time this preparation when Chris Parnham takes over the reins from his brother Steven in the Group 3 $250,000 A.J. Scahill Stakes (1400m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.

Chris Parnham, above, rides Lite'N In My Veins in the A.J. Scahill Stakes at Ascot. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.

Chris Parnham, above, rides Lite’N In My Veins in the A.J. Scahill Stakes at Ascot. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.

Local jockey Steven Parnham has been aboard Lite’N In My Veins for all his five starts over the Spring months which netted him two wins in the Listed $100,000 Birthday Stakes (1200m) at Belmont on October 1 and in the Group 3 $150,000 Northerly Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on October 15.

Kersley prepared Northerly to win the 2000 Group 1 Railway Stakes before going on to become an Australian racing legend with two Cox Plate wins and a Caulfield Cup win among his haul of Group 1 races and was very proud when Lite’N In My Veins was able to win the race named after the great Perth galloper.

“That was a great thrill for me in as much as the old horse Northerly with the race named after him, and then to bring along a younger horse good enough to win that race, I was proud of that,” Kersley said.

After his win in the Northerly Stakes, Kersley continued to step the four year old up in grade and he ran fifth to Perfect Reflection in the Group 2 $250,000 Waroa-Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on November 5 before running eighth to Scales Of Justice in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 19.

Lite’N In My Veins has had a freshen up since his Railway Stakes run and will be better suited dropping back to Group 3 company in the A.J. Scahill Stakes with barrier one in the small six horse weight for age field.

Chris Parnham commenced his apprenticeship in Perth alongside of his jockey brothers Steven and Brad before moving to Melbourne in late 2014 to join the stables of Leon and Troy Corstens where he has had great success.

As well as riding Lite’N In My Veins for Kersley in the A.J. Scahill Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, Chris Parnham also has two rides for his father Neville, Malibu Style in the Listed $100,000 R.S. Crawford Stakes (1000m) and Lenience in the 1200m BenchMark 72+ Handicap along with Miss Valeur for Eric Wake in the 1100m 2yo Plate and Dendee for trainer Daniel Morton in the BenchMark 72+ Handicap over 1600m.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.