CAIRNS CUP CARNIVAL Thompson and Ryans do it again

THE connection between Hall of Fame rider Robert Thompson and the Ryans – Janel and Ronnie – goes much deeper than most trainer and jockey relationships.

The team combined to secure the 2015 Cairns Cup with Seafight and, on Saturday, they made it two together as We Just Love It stormed down the outside to pinch the $100,000 crown.

A Cup win in any city of Australia is huge for a jockey, trainer or connections, but for the Ryan and Thompson team it is over three decades of close friendship that makes every winner even more remarkable.

Ronnie and Thompson were once fierce competitors on the track as jockeys and while the Hall of Fame hoop is still booting winners home around Australia, Ronnie has stepped away to help Janel train at their Tablelands base.

For the 60-year-old Thompson, Saturday’s Cairns Cup was No.5 in his sparkling career in the saddle.

He described the thrill of handing the Ryans Cup No.3 as “unbelievable”.

“I rode against Ronnie for a lot of years,” Thompson said.

“They are great horse people and it is a pleasure to win this race for them.”

Many at Cannon Park on Saturday afternoon would have thought We Just Love It just got beaten on the line as it was that close with the Stephen Massingham-trained Multifacets.

Connections of Multifacets, brought to the Far North to win the Cairns Cup, thought their horse may have got his nose down on the line but the judge disagreed, handing the tightest of victories to We Just Love It.

Janel revealed Thompson told her last year the five-yearold gelding was of standard to win the staying feature race.

“It is indescribable,” Janel said just minutes after the 2100m race. “Robbie had declared last year that this horse was a Cup horse. “It is a dream come true.” Janel wins plenty of races around North Queensland every season but says it is extra special come carnival time when their old mate comes north to ride for them.

“He has been great for us as a jockey but more so as a person, full stop,” Janel said.

“Robbie brought all his family up here this week.

“It is extra special to share this with him and I am sure he feels the same way.”

Ronnie added: “Me and Robbie are from our own era.

“There are only 12 months between us in age and he is just a special person … He has ridden so many winners for us but he is a gentleman too.”

We Just Love It had been lumping around 59kg in most of his recent starts but dropped back to 54kg for the Cup.

Meanwhile, Lady Skills’ hopes of winning the Northern Crowns Bonus were extinguished after she could not score the Cairns and Townsville Cup double. Lady Skills battled on for third.

It means Peacock will be the only horse running for the Northern Crowns Bonus at next month’s Cairns Amateurs carnival.