Northern NSW jockey stalwart Peter Graham expects it to be business as usual when his family creates history by having a father, a son and daughter riding at the same race meeting on Sunday.
Graham’s daughter Cejay will join the list of Graham postilions in the north, making her race debut after riding in 13 barrier trials.
The Grahams have their own 23ha farm outside Port Macquarie where Cejay grew up basically on the back of a horse, later riding in pony clubs, and taking on show jumping a few years ago.
She eventually decided to follow in her father and brother Jesse’s footsteps by putting on the race silks.
Graham admits he is not quite “over the moon” about the historic mark, saying he is just concerned his daughter makes a safe start to her riding career.
“If she rides a competent race, that is all I’m worried about,” he said.
“She rides pretty well, but we all know the dangers involved in being a jockey. She’s a good little rider, but it’s a very competitive world.”
Cejay, 18, has two mounts at Sunday’s Port Macquarie meeting, although one of them may be lucky to get a run as it is an emergency.
Jesse Graham, 21, has been apprenticed as a rider for two years. There is another Graham waiting in the wings – Rori, but it is not known yet if another Graham will also don the silks.
The only thing that may threaten the unique feat on Sunday is the rain, with heavy rain expected in the next couple of days.
Meanwhile, Peter Graham was part of a very rare event at the races on Friday, when his horse was part of a triple dead heat in the last race at Grafton in murky conditions. His mount Melted Moments tied for third with Incubus and Sunset Hills in the Clarence Coast Motors Class 3 over 1206m.