Twins Jarra and Ella Askevold-McDonald will join top-shelf WA racing stable for co-trainers Grant and Alana Williams

Twin sisters and passionate racing industry participants Jarra and Ella Askevold-McDonald have jumped at the opportunity of a lifetime, the Albany siblings accepting jobs at one of WA’s biggest racing stables for co-trainers Grant and Alana Williams.

Coming from a strong background with horses the sisters said it was an opportunity too good to refuse.

The 21-year-olds have worked at a number of local stables and as barrier staff at the Albany Racing Club while Ella will finish up her job at Mungrup Stud in mid-August.

The multiple Group 1-winning stable were advertising for staff on Facebook and a fellow ARC barrier staff attendant, who has a connection with Grant Williams told the twins about the opportunity.

Grant Williams rang Jarra and asked if the pair wanted to come up for a trial last month and after three days at the stable they accepted job offers.

Taking up a job at Williams Racing was never in their thinking but with Mungrup’s recent closure, Ella decided to join her sister in moving to Perth.

Jarra will be a track rider with the Williams camp and also work around the stables while Ella will start with stable work and hopes former jockey Alana Williams can help improve her riding at trackwork.

Jarra will leave for Perth tomorrow and begins her new role on Friday.

“It was too good an opportunity to not take,” Jarra said.

“It’s going to definitely be an eye-opener, I’m looking forward to sitting on a real horse, that’s for sure.

“Seeing the amount of success this stable gets, it’s definitely going to make the early mornings easier that’s for sure.

“It was a really good opportunity for us to both move away and start fresh.

“Our bond, well we don’t have one.

“It’s definitely going to be challenging living together again as we haven’t lived together for three years and tend to clash quite a bit.”

Ella will finish at Mungrup Stud on August 15 after its dispersal sale and start at Williams Racing on August 27.

“We can be close but we aren’t the closest set of twins out there,” Ella said.

“We have our little disagreements and arguments but don’t all siblings?

“It will be a very good experience working for them, they have a very good routine on a day-to-day basis.

“Jarra and I are pretty easygoing and mouldable people to work with and we have a hardworking attitude.”