Evergreen jockey Robert Thompson celebrated his birthday in style with a winning double on the first of two feature race days at Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley.Thompson, who turned 53 on Friday, has been competing in races since 1973 and ridden more winners than any other jockey in Australian history.He added a couple more to his tally when he steered Don's Surprise to victory in the Dane Shadow Maiden Plate to open the Scone carnival and then scored again in the $130,000 Sportsman Inglis 2YO C

Evergreen jockey Robert Thompson celebrated his birthday in style with a winning double on the first of two feature race days at Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Thompson, who turned 53 on Friday, has been competing in races since 1973 and ridden more winners than any other jockey in Australian history.

He added a couple more to his tally when he steered Don's Surprise to victory in the Dane Shadow Maiden Plate to open the Scone carnival and then scored again in the $130,000 Sportsman Inglis 2YO Challenge (1300m) on the Jenny Graham-trained Alcancia.

"It sure is nice to ride a couple of winners on Scone Cup day because it's very hard racing with all the visitors from Sydney," Thompson said.

"And to be able to win one of the feature races today, the two-year-old race, is great. Jenny Graham is a lovely person so it was great to win it for her as well."

Thompson broke Jack Thompson's Australian record of 3322 winners back in July 2008 and said he still enjoys his job as much as ever.

The champion hoop, who lives in the Hunter Valley, also took satisfaction out of winning at a place where he has been competing ever since he started his career in the saddle.

"I've been riding here for 35 years or so," he said.

"First at White Park when it was across the road and then to this track here."

Thompson settled Don's Surprise back in the field then brought the filly down the centre of the track for an easy victory.

"I think she has got a bit of a future, she'll definitely get over further," Thompson said.

"And the little two-year-old filly (Alcancia) won nicely as well. She is a family horse for Jenny as her parents are in the ownership with her so it was a special win for them."

A Scone Cup winner in 1997 on Drogheda, Thompson didn't have a ride in Friday's $175,000 feature won by Dysphonia.