Cessnock’s champion jockey Robert Thompson has ridden 116 winners for the 2014-2015 season and the punters pal is hopeful it will be 119 after Saturday’s Broadmeadow meeting. Incredibly ‘RT’ has only booted home two winners at Broadmeadow his favourite track, reports Gary Harley at racingnsw.
The history making jockey will be aboard three early favourites at Broadmeadow and they are Sunbury ($1.60), Three Sheets ($2.60) and Touch Sensitive ($3).
The lightly raced Sunbury will run in a 1400 metre Maiden after chasing home the smart Fabrizio on this track two weeks ago.
Three Sheets has raced four times for a win and three placings and he will contest a 900 metre Class 1 event.
Touch Sensitive makes her debut in a 900 metre Maiden and her only trial resulted in an easy Scone barrier trial win in March.
Thompson has six rides on the eight race program and he discussed his best chances on Friday.
“Sunbury put the writing on the wall when second to a smart one of Gai’s at the last meeting here. He had no luck first up when beaten a length on this track.
Sunbury’s trainer Allan Denham has been happy with his work and this field looks a bit inferior to what he has been racing. He will race in the first half of the field.
“Three Sheets only had his first start in June and he has performed well in all four starts. He has only been beaten half a length in his past two runs at Wyong and Newcastle.
Three Sheets probably needs it a bit further but he will be finishing strongly.
“I have never been on Touch Sensitive in a trial or work. She won a four horse trial at Scone in March. It is a pretty fair Maiden field but Rod expects her to run well”, Robert said.
It has been an amazing couple of months for the popular hoop.
In the past two weeks he has wrapped up the 2014/15 Cessnock Jockeys Premiership and he was inducted into the Hunter Sporting Hall of Fame.
In early June, he received an Australian Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honour and the highlight of his career came in May when he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Wyong trainer Kim Waugh has bright prospects of landing a double at Broadmeadow on Saturday. Fight for Glory following two placings on the track recently is expected to be favourite in the 1850 metre Maiden Plate.
The three-year-old was well backed when second to Guest Card at his first attempt at ‘1850’ on this track two weeks ago. Fight for Glory races on the pace and he will be at his top after three runs from a spell.
Dubbo based apprentice James Innes has retained the ride on Waugh’s Dylan’s Rojo in the 1350 metre Benchmark 70 Handicap.
Originally handicapped on 61 kilograms, Dylan’s Rojo will carry 58 kilograms with Innes’ claim.
Dylan’s Rojo led all the way to win over 1300 metres on this track two weeks ago and he is expected to lead this field.
It’s a very open race and former Randwick trained galloper Captain Scott a surprise Broadmeadow first up winner for Singleton trainer Aleacia Bennett has a chance.
On July 4 Captain Scott on $18 chance stormed home to win over the 1200 metres with apprentice Samantha Clenton in the saddle.
The Broadmeadow 2014-15 premiership winning apprentice will be aboard again on Saturday.
It was a great thrill for Bennett when Captain Scott won as her parents Phil and Leanne Moore were baby-sitting her four month old daughter in the grandstand.