Being part of a historic win in New Zealand racing was special for jockey Ryan Elliot.
The 21-year-old jockey scored his first win at racing's highest level when Rock On Wood bolted away with the Group 1 $200,000 Captain Cook at Trentham, but the historic part came because the winner is trained by Elliot's mother Leanne.
While New Zealand racing has a long history, a mother as trainer and son as jockey winning a Group 1 race has almost certainly never happened before.
Add to that the fact Rock On Wood was Leanne's first Group training success and she shares ownership with her mother Jill and sister Yvonne, for Ryan to return to his victorious family in the winner's circle was hard to comprehend.
"To win my first Group 1 was special enough, but for Mum and the family, when Mum only has one actual racehorse in work, you just never think something like that could happen," said Ryan.