Thornton closing on 1000 wins

When Trudy Thornton, 51, cracks the 1000 win mark it will be a hardearned milestone.

In her 35th season of race riding, Thornton has earned a reputation as a tireless worker and a very good jockey and currently sits on 999 career wins.

‘‘I wouldn’t be riding if I didn’t love it,’’ she said at Pukekohe on Friday. She continues to be in high demand by trainers and owners and this weekend prepares for four mounts at Ellerslie on Saturday and three at Te Rapa on Monday.

Hitting the 1,000 win mark ‘‘will happen when it happens’’ and the experienced and popular rider isn’t losing any sleep over it. Last season she rode 39 winners, the season before 32, 50 the one prior and 38 in 2012/13.

Her career high came in 1998/99 when she booted home 71 winners. She has 37 black-type wins on her honour roll, three at Group I level.

Thornton, whose career began as an amateur in her teens and after she turned professional mixed flat and jumps riding, has suffered numerous injuries but none as painful as two years ago. She shattered her hip joint in a fall at Ellerslie, an injury that some thought might have ended her career.

Recently her skills were applauded when she used her mount El Fortuna to draft Acedecee wide on the track to avoid the area of danger in a race at Ruakaka when fellow jockey Kelly McCulloch was lying on the track injured.

Thorntonrides work at Cambridge for Anne Herbert and would enjoy notching her milestone win on one of her team. She rides Trojan Warrior for the stable on Saturday and Georgethefifth at Te Rapa on Monday.