They are the women behind two of world racing’s biggest names.
Katelyn McDonald and Nicole Purton will largely be out of the spotlight this week but their roles in the lead-up to the $20 million The TAB Everest is profound.
Nicole’s husband Zac will ride The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising, the horse rated as the world’s best sprinter.
Katelyn is married to James who will be aboard second favourite Joliestar.
• ‘He is quite amazing’: Legendary jockey’s Everest prediction
Both women grew up inside racing’s bubble and their husbands are regarded as two of the top jockeys in world thoroughbred racing.
Nicole, the daughter of Hall Of Fame jockey Jim Cassidy, hasn’t known life any other way.
“I grew up thinking everybody had horse stuff all around their house,” she said.
“I’ve never known any different. Racing has been and is my life.”
Katelyn is the daughter of Riverina hobby trainer Brett Mallyon, granddaughter of three-time Caulfield Cup winning jockey Mick Mallyon.
She is not only the wife of a champion jockey but the mother of his two daughters, three-year-old Evie and 18-month-old Mia.
A former jockey who rode in the 2016 Melbourne Cup, Katelyn juggles family duties with a role as a presenter on the Seven Network’s race day coverage alongside legendary sports broadcaster Bruce McAvaney.
Katelyn McDonald promoting The Everest. Picture: Sam Ruttyn
• Richard Callander: Why Ka Ying Rising can’t climb this Everest mountain
“I don’t know how I manage it all and when it’s all laid on the table, it’s probably why I’m so tired all the time,” she said.
“It is tough juggling everything, but we are lucky that James’s mum (Diane McDonald) is there to look after girls whenever I need her. She takes the reins on a Saturday when we are both working at the races.”
Purton’s two children Roxy and Cash are 11 and eight, and her son has already expressed a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a jockey, a career choice his mother staunchly opposes.
“Everybody says you can’t tell your kids what to do, well I’m here to tell you this mother will be telling her child exactly what to do and he won’t become a jockey if I can help it,” she said.
“I don’t know if I could handle that.
“If he wants to be a trainer, I’m all for that.”
• NZ-born, Aussie-trained, Hong Kong-homed: Ka Ying Rising’s long road to The Everest
Racing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
For those that are new to the sport, an ambulance follows the horses and riders around the track when a race is being run.
Those dangers are felt hardest by those watching at home.
“I never think about falls,” Purton said.
“Until you have those moments where it hits you in the face that you must acknowledge it, it’s not until that point that you are reminded how scary the job can be.
“When Zac has fallen in the past, and even when I was younger and Dad had a fall, it’s truly the most terrifying experience.
“It’s like watching a car crash live knowing your husband is involved and knowing the other families, knowing how bad it can be.
“You can’t put the inner terror into words.”
• ‘It is all fake news’: Ka Ying Rising dispels Everest fitness doubts
On the track both James and Zac are highly driven and focused individuals that will do whatever it takes to reach the Everest of their professions.
But at home, children have changed both highly successful athletes.
“Having the girls brings him back down to earth now,” McDonald said.
“They’ve mellowed him.
“He’s as focused as ever but spending time with the girls is an outlet to switch off.
“I’ve never come across a mentally tougher human in my life than James. He’s made of different stuff.
“He sets himself a target and he won’t stop until he does it when he then raises the bar higher again and he starts again.
“He’s never satisfied, always wants more and more.”
James and Katelyn McDonald with their children Mia, 18 months, and Evie, 3, at home in Vaucluse. Picture: Justin Lloyd
• The Everest goes global: PVL locks in broadcast deals with DAZN, Fox Sports US
The Purtons went to Hong Kong 17 years ago for a six-month riding contract and haven’t left yet.
Nicole believes the pair have been blessed to spend almost two decades in the Asian Racing mecca with success both on and off the track.
“We love it, I love it,” she said. “We live a great life.
“It’s a lovely environment to raise a family and the situation we are in allows you to really be a tight knit family and to me that’s the number one priority.
“Zac’s fun, so much fun. His personality has changed me too.
“He’s opened my eyes to making the most of every day and every opportunity.
“He’s a reliable dad that’s fun and he leaves his work at the door when he’s with the kids.”
The Purton family: Zac and Nicole and children Cash and Roxy. Picture: Supplied
Katelyn’s brother Andrew is also a successful jockey based in Queensland who has done work as a medic and driver on the frontline of the Ukraine/Russia war, something that scares his sister more than watching both boys in the saddle.
“It’s extremely worrying and very tough for us back home, but he really loves it,” she said.
“He’s a wonderful person and he gets a whole new perspective on life every time he goes over there.
“Andrew going to Ukraine worries me more than watching both he and or James ride.”