Parnham was exuberant waving his whip and standing high in the irons on passing the post, after beating the heavily-backed $2.10 favourite and stable-mate Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) by 2l in the 1800 metre Ascot feature.
It was almost 3l back to 3-year-old Dom To Shoot (Shooting To Win), who led the chase of the other 13 runners for third place.
Parnham’s win was in front of his father and leading trainer Neville, mother Carolyn and brothers Steven (who is sidelined because of a broken collar-bone) and Brad, who rode Kay Cee (Playing God) for his father, to finish 10th in the same race.
Parnham has been an avid racing fan since he was a small boy.
He revealed he had worn out the tape of his father’s Perth Cup win with Luna Tudor (Military Plume {NZ}) in 2000.
“I just watched that tape over and over,” the 23 year-old said. “I have been going to the races for as long as I can remember. I loved watching dad’s horses race and watching my brothers Steven and Brad ride every Saturday.
“Kids at school would be doing their homework and I would be watching race replays. To win a Group 1 now on my own is pretty special.
“Kids at school would be doing their homework and I would be watching race replays. To win a Group 1 now on my own is pretty special." - Chris Parnham
"To ride my first Group 1 for Bob and Sandra (Peters) also is special. They have been my second most strong supporters (behind his parents) since I started riding.
“Trainers Grant and Alana (Williams) have supported me since I started as a 16-year-old too.”
Parnham rode his first stakeswinner for the Peters family on Moonlight Bay (Catbird) in the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup over 1800 metres.
Parnham, who rode a feature double, leads the country, having won the most metropolitan races on 51 wins, ahead of James McDonald, who rode four winners at Rosehill, on 45 wins.
Parnham is perched at the top of WA’s city title 23 wins ahead of Clint Johnston-Porter.
Bob Peters and Chris Parnham
The Kingston Town
Truly Great became the Peters family’s sixth winner in the Kingston Town, following the deeds of Old Nick (Old Spice) (1998), Old Comrade (Old Spice) (2000 and 2001), Perfect Reflection (More Than Ready {USA}) and Arcadia Queen (Pierro).
Grant Williams is now level with David Hayes; Credit Account (Imposing) (1993), and Nicconero (Danzero) (2006-08); and Neville Parnham, Playing God (Blackfriars), (2010/11) and Kay Cee (Playing God) (2019), as having trained the most winners on three wins.
Williams shares the credit of his past two wins with his wife and training partner Alana.
Truly Great only qualified for a start in the Railway S., where he ran an eye-catching seventh to Inspirational Girl a fortnight ago, in winning the G3 R J Peters S. on November 14.
Peters rates Truly Great as one of the most perfectly built horses he has ever bred in over 40 years.
Work in progress
But the 5-year-old has been a work in progress to get him to perform at the top of his game.
“He got a good run and she (Inspirational Girl) got caught well back, that was the difference,” Peters said.
“I said all along he was the best foal I had ever bred. I have had to wait a long time for him. A lot of things went wrong, but I always maintained my confidence in him.
“I said all along he was the best foal I had ever bred. I have had to wait a long time for him." - Bob Peters
“He had silly little things go wrong that seems to haunt his family. There was nothing dramatic, but we would bring him in and turn him back out again.”
Grant Williams, who won the G1 Caulfield S. and Mackinnon S. with Arcadia Queen during the spring was back on track to celebrate, after completing a mandatory fortnight in quarantine.
“Alana trained these ones (Perth) and that is rightfully so,” Williams said.
“It has been a good few months. Truly Great was a bit quirky early. Bob would keep taking him off us and putting back in the paddock to mature.
“He was just a big baby more than anything. Now he is not. He has grown into a magnificent animal.”
Alana and Grant Williams
Truly Great is the second stakes-winner for the Peters-owned mare Truly Special (Jeune). Special Alert (Not A Single Doubt) won the G3 2018 WA Oaks, 2400 metres.
Another half-brother Truly Gold (Nicconi) won the Esperance Cup among his seven wins.
Truly Great is entered for the $400,000 Tabtouch Perth Cup, 2400 metres, on January 2.
A start is now doubtful because he will receive a hefty penalty for his Kingston Town win.
“He could go into the Ted Van Heemst S in a fortnight, because that is weight-for-age,” Peters said.
“At the moment I am fifth on the Thoroughbred Global Owners’ Rankings and a G2 win in the Van Heemst would help me.
"That is the highest I have ever been. I would say a Perth Cup start would be out because he will go up to high in the ratings.”
Special K shines in final chapter
Much maligned Group 1 winner Kementari (Lonhro) closed the final chapter on his racing career on the highest note, with a brilliant win in the Scahill S.
Godolphin managing director Vin Cox announced earlier this week Kementari was going to be retired after the Scahill. The announcement followed Kementari’s eighth to Inspirational Girl in the Railway S.
Punters were so impressed by the blazing display of speed Kementari showed in the straight, murmurs abounded at the track, the gelding might cheat retirement for a second time.
However, travelling foreman Nacim Dilmi poured cold water on the rumour, confirming Kementari was headed into retirement.
Kementari went to stud and stood in 2019, but he was effectively infertile with just one or two mares remaining in foal with tests and he was deemed an unsatisfactory breeder. He was gelded and put back into the stable.
Chris Parnham broke a 1001-day drought on Kementari - his previous win was in the G1 Randwick Guineas as a 3-year-old - in the Scahill.
Finding his best
Dilmi mixed up the 6-year-old’s routine this week in an effort to reinvigorate his best form.
“When I looked at him in the straight I knew he was going to give a good fight,” Dilmi said.
“He has still got the ability within him. We have done so many different things with him during this week. We don’t even know which one worked.
Kementari
“On Monday we took him to Bullsbrook, where he saw kangaroos and emus. On Tuesday we took him to Belmont Park for a change from Ascot and he had a nice gallop. Then on Wednesday he went to the beach.
“We tried to keep his mind fresh. Even though we are stable across the road from Ascot we loaded him on a float and drove him around for a half hour before coming to Ascot.
"Even though we are stable across the road from Ascot we loaded him on a float and drove him around for a half hour before coming to Ascot." - Nacim Dilmi
"He was bright as he could be. Today is his last day and what a great way to finish a stellar career. As much as people have said bad thing about him he was always ran to his best.”
For trainer James Cummings Kementari's win was his first feature in WA.
He now has a score on the board in Perth in the pursuit of his grandfather the great Bart Cummings, who was a regular visitor to the Ascot carnival in the 1970s and ‘80s, winning eight derbies at Ascot and two Kingston Town Classics.
