THOMPSON REFLECTS ON HIS BIG DAY OUT AT IPSWIICH

By Graham Potter | Sunday, June 18, 2023

Ben Thompson advanced his stellar season along another step down the line of success on Ipswich Cup day where he landed two winners (including a win in the Ipswich Cup) and three second placings on the city’s biggest race-day.

“It was a great day … a winner and two seconds in the three feature races,” said Thompson. “It could have been a little bit better, but any day over the Queensland Carnival is a very, very tough day, so I’m very happy with those results.

“Part of the enjoyment was the involvement with the crowd. There was a massive crowd there and there was a group of guys all cheering when I came back to scale … so I just gave them a bit back. It was a bit of fun.”

Thompson’s Ipswich Cup win came in a thrilling finish aboard the Annabel Neasham trained Regal Lion, who was unwanted in the betting at $21.

“I haven’t ridden a lot for Annabel Neasham … just a few rides here and there … but the ride sort of came available over the last two weeks,” explained Thompson.

“They asked if I was available for the Cup and they told me what they might have running in it. It was either Bartholomeu Dias or Regal Lion. Bartholomeu Dias ended up going to the McKell Cup at Rosehill and I was fortunate enough to get the ride on Regal Lion.

Regal Lion originally raced in New Zealand for Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman where he only won once in ten starts before coming across to Australia, but a third place finish in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby suggested he was a better horse than his overall form suggested at that stage.

“He was in New Zealand and then he came across,” said Thompson taking up the story.

“He has always had really good staying ability. He has been stakes placed multiple times. He finished second in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes in his first start in Australia (one length behind Character), and he then started second favourite in the AJC Derby (where he ran unplaced) … so he has got good form.

“I think he has been with Annabel for three preps now.

“He was disappointing first-up this prep (in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup), but he worked great on the Tuesday before Ipswich Cup day and had the blinkers back on for his assignment in the Cup. He had them on before … and then off … and then back on again this time. I think it had been about ten months since he’d worn them.

“It was the right timing.”

And the ride on Gravina, who finished a spirited second in the Eye Liner?

“I was fortunate enough to have a couple of rides for James Cummings and Godolphin earlier in the carnival. I happened to win on Character at Listed level for them which helped open more opportunities there for me,” said Thompson.

“It was good to get a ride on Gravina in the Moreton Cup to have some experience on him coming into the race. That obviously helped produce the result … a very close second.

“It felt like Lady Of Honour was going to beat me by a head … but we stretched out on the line and we were only beaten by a short half-head. The margin was tiny in the end.”

‘Stretched out’ would be a bit of an understatement. It was, in fact, a massive. final stride push by Thompson that helped Gravina to put in a dive at the line … and that forceful, riding style in a driving finish is fast becoming something of a Thompson trademark.

The stretch … the pushing of the horse’s head out in one last lunge to add a vital edge to its momentum …has to done to perfection to be productive and Thompson certainly seems to be on his way to perfecting it.

“When I was an apprentice, Ben Allen was riding at the same time and he was doing it a lot, so I’ve just tried to learn to replicate him.

“Ben Allen is the best at pushing the horse’s head out … so I’ve just being trying to copy him. It’s worked in my favour a few times.

“With the two close finishes (in the Ipswich Cup and the Eye Liner) I got one result and was on the wrong side of the other one, It’s a lot of fun when you are fighting it out like that … obviously, more so when you are on the right side of the finish and you pass the post first.

“With regard to my other two second placing’s on the day, I had a two-year-old … Defiant Spirit … who dashed home in a slowly run race. He was unlucky … and then I also had Better Get Set who was narrowly beaten.

“She’s been great. She was second-up here and history shows she is an even better horse third and fourth-up, so I think she has got nice improvement.

“I was surprised to end up in front, but it seemed like all of the winners on the day straightened up within sight of the lead (with the exception of Depour), so I thought I was not going to say no to the lead if it was there. She nearly made it.

“Yeah, it was a continuation of a great season for me. I just try to ride consistently and improve a lot. I want to keep getting better and hopefully that keeps happening.

“I’ve got good support and a good network of people around me.

“I’ve said it before … coming to Queensland was the best move I’ve made, both professionally and personally.

“Steph and I just love it up here. Wouldn’t change being an adopted Queenslander for the world.

“It’s home now, for sure.”

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