THE MIDWEEK INTERVIEW: BEN THOMPSON - SETTING A HOT PACE AS HE KICKS OFF THE SEASON WITH MEANING

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, September 10, 2025

As early as it is in the season, Ben Thompson’s four-timer at Eagle Farm on Saturday served as a stark reminder to any other rider harbouring Brisbane Jockey Premiership ambitions that, all things being equal, Thompson is going to be difficult to beat in that regard … but, in spite of his inspired start to the season, Thompson is not about to get ahead of himself. The current premiership leader spoke to HRO’s Graham Potter and gave his perspective on how things have unfolded since his return from a stint in Hong Kong and how he tries to stay on top of his game.

HRO: “Looking in from the outside, it looks like you couldn’t have got off to a better start. Is that pretty much true or have there been any hiccups along the way?”

BT: “It has been fantastic just to resume riding in Queensland. I am receiving great support which is obviously crucial to any success I am having. I’m very, very grateful for the support I am being given. Things have been going fantastic.”

HRO: “The trainers list for your four winners on Saturday reads … Waller, Maher, Gollan, Gollan. Is the flow of those quality bookings courtesy of having a good manager?"

BT: “I’ve got a great manager in Glen Courtney, yes, in everything he does. Obviously, yeah, it is a jockey’s dream to be riding for the trainers that I am. It’s a great thrill. Long may it continue.”

HRO: “Does it come with any pressure riding for the top stables, because those stables are very much results orientated?

BT: “Um, to be honest, once upon a time … when I was younger … I feel I would have felt the pressure and the weight of expectation, but as time has gone on, I view it differently. I feel now that riding for leading trainers gives me a lot of confidence. Their resumes speak for themselves and being booked to ride for … like you say, Chris Waller, Tony Gollan and Ciaron Maher … now I just have a lot of confidence riding for them and confidence in the horses they have.”

HRO: “Confidence can come from various sources. When word was out that you were returning from Hong Kong, many people were of the opinion that you would return a better jockey for the experience. Do you feel that you are a better rider now and, if you do, are there any factors that you can pinpoint where you have improved?

BT:“I was confident before resuming in Australia that I was returning a better rider than I was seventeen months earlier. You can’t buy experience and riding alongside some of the world’s top riders I thought there were takeaways that I was bringing home with me … not only on the track but off the track, everything is so fast paced so you have to think and react quickly. I am very grateful for the experience in Hong Kong and its played a big factor, I feel, in what I am achieving now.”

HRO: “Do you set goals. In your last full season in Queensland, you rode 93 winners, so does the 100 metropolitan wins come to mind … or are you targeting a premiership? Or do you just take things as they come?

BT:I don’t like to look too far ahead. My biggest goal is to stay consistent. I am constantly reviewing myself … constantly assessing how I am performing. If I do think there is a kink to be knotted out, I do that asap. That’s sort of the main thing I stay conscious of … and preparing well and being consistent. If I’m ticking those three boxes, everything else should go the way I would like it to.”
______________________________________________________________________

That’s what good riders do and that’s how they keep on improving. Having opportunities come your way is one thing. Taking them is another beast all together … but, at this stage, Thompson appears to have most angles covered as his early season statistics show in no uncertain terms.

Since the start of August Thompson has had 80 metropolitan rides, 23 rides more than the next busiest jockey. To put that in perspective, taking an average meeting at eight races, that means that Thompson has ridden the equivalent of close to three meetings more than any other rider.

That speaks to the level of demand for his services.

Thompson’s sixteen Metropolitan winners so far this season … five more than anybody else … have come at a 20.0 percent winning strike rate. That winning percentage is second only to Ryan Maloney’s impressive 27.5 percent.

That speaks to his expertise in the saddle.

The prize-money earned by Thompson’s mounts this season is closing on a million ($974 610), a figure which is more than double that earned by the mounts of any other rider bar Emily Lang ($612 420).
______________________________________________________________________

Yes, we are only in the second month of the season and injuries and suspensions can always upset any jockey’s momentum, so it is not a victory march yet but, fair to say, Thompson has been on a roll since returning from Hong Kong and, while he is bringing home the bacon for several top trainers, you would assume he will continue to reel in the good rides which has already brought him to a commanding position so early in the season.

More articles