Thomson on a winning run
AFTER more than 20 years in the industry it’s hard to say a jockey is in career-best form, but Townsville hoop Bonnie Thomson is not far off it.
The experienced rider, who also splits her time training a small team of gallopers, is in an impressive purple patch notching her third treble of the season at last Saturday’s Cluden Park meeting.
That is to go with five winning doubles she has ridden this season which is less than halfway through. Of her last 50 rides, Thomson is winning one in five.
It’s a strike rate any jockey in the country, let alone regional Queensland, would be envious of.
But Thomson is definitely not counting her blessings yet, as she knows form is temporary.
“I have been pretty lucky. I have ridden a few trebles over the past few weeks,” she said. “I think we all go through those runs of form, (as jockeys) we have our ups and our downs.
“When you get on a roll you do stay on it for a while but when you do come off a roll you come off it with force.”
But Thomson remains confident she can keep up the momentum when racing returns to Cluden Park today. And it is a horse she knows plenty about that has the jockeytrainer most excited.
Thomson will saddle up and don the silks on five-year-old gelding Osmond in the Class 1 Handicap over 1300m.
Bred by racing giants Darley out of four-time Group 1 winner Sepoy, Osmond will back up a week after smoking the field by two lengths in a 1200m Class B at Townsville last week.
He will drop 2.5kg for today’s race, with only a wide barrier 12 draw a potential drawback. But Thomson is not concerned by the alley.
“He is a real little bulldog, he just keeps trying and trying,” she said. “He just needs some clear running in the straight.”