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Sport Nation
Parsons joins 1000-win club
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • May 19th, 2025 2:00 pm
Photo: Race Images South
Balcairn trainer Karen Parsons is the latest member to be inducted into the 1000-win club after she reached the milestone at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting last Thursday.
She started the day on 998 victories and was taken to within one of the milestone when Sway Up took out the second race on the card, and an hour later in-form gelding Tumuch secured the honours for his handler when winning his mile contest.
In a red-letter day for the stable, Miss Brittany and Funfetti further added to Parsons’ tally when taking out their respective races.
Parsons has had a fruitful training career for the best part of 30 years in partnership with husband John, but her involvement with horses goes back to childhood, where she recalls competing in the show ring under the tutelage of her father.
“My father was a pony club instructor and when I went to shows I had one eye on him and one eye on the judge because Dad used to be really strict,” Parsons said.
Scotty Stevenson hits Ellerslie for the Group 1 Sport Nation Ōtaki-Māori WFA Classic | Sport Nation
While she had a passion for horses, Parsons didn’t enter the world of racing until she met her first husband Gavin Gullery, who was New Zealand's Champion apprentice jockey in the late sixties under trainer Clarrie McCarthy.
Their family moved to Australia to further Gullery’s riding career, but he sadly passed away after being involved in a car accident in 1984.
Parsons’ passion for racing continued and her involvement grew when she met her now husband, John Parsons, and the couple would go on to enjoy a prosperous partnership on the track, which commenced in the 1996/97 season.
While Parsons had plenty of memorable moments on the track, a clear highlight was their success with homebred mare Final Touch.
The daughter of Kashani would go on to win eight stakes races, including three Group Ones in the space of four starts – Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), Telegraph Handicap (1200m) and Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m).
“Final Touch was unbelievable,” Parsons said. “When she came back and won the Telegraph, I was leading her around the birdcage that day and I looked up at her and I thought ‘you are going to win today’.”
Jockey Chris Johnson was aboard in all three elite-level triumphs, and Parsons said the southern hoop was instrumental in the stable’s success.
“Without Chris I don’t think we would be anyone,” Parsons said. “We were heavily involved with Chris in those days. He used to go for tea with us three times a week and he used to do all the driving. He was marvellous.”
Parsons was glad to bring up her 1000th win last week, joining her husband who sits on 1327 career wins, and said the stable relies heavily on its valuable staff, which is headed by stable foreman Mahi Singh.
“Our foreman, Mahi Singh, without him we wouldn’t be going at all now, he is outstanding,” Parsons said. “He can do everything, and he gets so excited when the horses win.”
While Parsons is now in the twilight of her career, her passion for the animal and sport hasn’t waned, and she is adamant to continue her passion of training, alongside her husband, for years to come.
