IN RACING as in most pursuits, it's often the case that many hands make light work.
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That is especially the case for the White family at Huntly.
Three generations of the family were able to savour some success at Charlton on Monday following a win by Im Miss Royalty.
She was driven by Bill's son Ian White, who was quick to hail the victory as 'a true family effort'.
Ian's and wife Susan's son Brent, also a gifted soccer player with Bendigo City FC's under-16 team, is responsible for jogging Im Miss Royalty each morning and the mare's fast work, while daughter Lauren, a second-year science student at La Trobe University, does likewise with the team's other starter at Charlton on Monday, Double Dot.
"Lauren and Brent do plenty of the work and they really enjoy it," he said.
"It saves their dad having to do all the work. He's grateful.
"(Bill) still potters around a bit - we're all on the same property out here.
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"He was over there early this morning cleaning the stables and while we are away he'll do the feeds and he'll put them on the jogger.
"He's still very hands-on."
Despite her last start victory when she was driven by Michael Bellman, White said they had not exactly headed to Charlton full of confidence.
"Not drawing barrier eight - not all," he said.
"She's got no early speed, so I knew I was going to be back in the ruck somewhere and from there you just have to sit back and wait for the straight. She can only sprint the length of the straight.
"Her mother was the same, she was noted for coming up the sprint lane. But things fell into place on Monday."
The Whites are hopeful Im Miss Royalty, now a winner of three of 35 starts, can emulate the deeds of her mother, Miss Tiny Tot, who won 13 races and was placed 40 times in 146 career starts between 2000 and 2008.
"Her mother, as a five-year-old, really came on, so fingers crossed," Ian said.
"As a two-year-old she won the Redwood Consolation in 2000 and raced through until she was about nine.
"She was very small and only weighed about 320 or 340 kilos."
The Whites have one other Miss Tiny Tot filly in the stable, an as yet unraced two-year-old.
Read more: Family that races together, wins together
When she next goes around, which is unlikely to be until next month, Im Miss Royalty will be chasing three wins in a row.
The mare will likely be breaking new ground if she can notch a treble of wins.
Ian White cannot recall any of the family's horses achieving three-on-end.
Among their former horses, the trotting mare Suelaurian, who raced throughout the 2000s, came close to scoring three straight on three occasions, as did the late 90s-2000s pacing gelding Smooth Choice.
In more recent times, the now seven-year-old trotter Blis Valley claimed back-to-back wins at Melton last March before finishing third in his next start at Maryborough.
"We can't just seem to get three in a row, but we're happy to win anything at the moment," White said.
"If she (Im Miss Royalty) gets the right race - and we'll have to pick and choose the right race - there's a chance she gets three (in a row).
"I've had a look at the program, but there are no more races for her at the moment, but that will give her time to recover. It was pretty hot and humid up there in Charlton.
"Fingers crossed we get some luck again next time."
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