Jockey Phillip Parchment celebrated a return to the winners’ enclosure on Saturday, June 8, 2024, piloting the Steven Todd-trained Undecided to victory in race five.
The race was a three-year-old and upward Optional Claiming ($250,000-$200,000) spread that also included six-year-olds and upward (non-winners of three) and five-year-old maidens going five furlongs straight.
Undecided, a seven-year-old grey/roan horse bred by He’stherealthing out of River Styx, came from behind runners to win by a neck ahead of Dancinginthebreeze (Roger Hewitt) and Storm Valley (Shane Richardson) in a time of 1:03.3.
The win marked a sweet comeback for Parchment, who had been sidelined since March with a fractured neck sustained in a nasty spill.
"It was a tough road to recovery, but I'm thrilled to be back in the saddle and riding confidently again," Parchment said.
“It was a very bad spill and it took a while to heal, so I was out of the saddle for quite some time. With the injury, I wasn’t able to train or anything and so the weight issue was always going to be a prime factor.
"Therefore, regaining my fitness and getting my weight back under control was a challenge, but it paid off. I'm grateful to the owner, trainer, and entire team for their support. This win is a testament to hard work and determination. Expect bigger things to come,” Parchment said.
