News

Robert Thompson nominated for Australian Racing Hall of Fame

19th May 2015

The Cessnock Advertiser - Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Australia’s most winning jockey, Robert Thompson, has been nominated for induction into Australian Racing’s Hall of Fame.

The Cessnock-born jockey will be in Brisbane tomorrow (Thursday) when the inductee will be announced at a gala dinner at the Sofitel Hotel as part of the Australian Racing Conference.

The awards recognise the outstanding achievements of the nation’s greatest racing heroes. Throughout the evening the 2015 inductees for the categories of horse, jockeys, trainers and associates and legend will be announced.

Thompson, 57, became Australia’s most winning jockey at a meeting in Port Macquarie in July 2008, taking him past the record of 3322 winners previously held by the late Jack Thompson (no relation).

He has now ridden more than 4100 winners and success still arrives at regular intervals at racetracks all over New South Wales and in Queensland.

Thompson started his apprenticeship before his 15th birthday and under great mentors – including his grandfather Norm Collins and father Arthur – it wasn’t long before he rode his first winner, It’s Regal, trained by Norm Collins, at a mid-week Wyong meeting.

The Thompson family including Robert’s wife Jenny, mother Phyllis, sons Simon and Brent, sister Jan and partners will be making the trip north, all hoping to hear that Thompson has gained the so much deserved worthy recognition.

There will however be a touch of sadness when the family gathers tomorrow as it will be the second anniversary of the death of Robert’s father Arthur.

SUCCESS AT SCONE, DOUBLE AT TAMWORTH

Birthday week added a welcome present for Robert Thompson at last week’s stand-alone Scone race meeting.

Thompson, who turned 57 just days before the meeting, continued his successful association with the Rod Northam stable at Scone, guiding promising 2-year-old gelding Sargent Doakes to a win in the $100,000 Inglis Challenge over the 1100 metres dash.

A ten-out-of-ten ride by Thompson saw the gelding win running away to score by one length and gave Northam his fourth win in the race in the past six years.

Thompson made the trip to Tamworth on Monday and teamed up with best mate Jeremy Sylvester to take 4-year-old Zizou gelding Lasszou to a win in the maiden over 1200 metres.

Lasszou dug in for a tough win for connections with the winner only being with Sylvester's Cessnock stable since last month.

Thompson made it a double for the meeting with a come from behind win on the John Hine-trained Topending who made it win number two from 19 starts.