Snapped during a break in trackwork at Wellington racecourse are Jay and Kurt Thompson and their father, local trainer Brett Thompson with Jake Pracey-Holmes who started as Brett’s apprentice 13 years ago.
Family works together to become dominant in the racehorse training industry.
BY COLIN HODGES
LIKELY TO have a sizeable number racing at the Wellington Boot Carnival is trainer Brett Thompson who has high regard for the Wellington committee and the Wellington track where he works several of his big team of gallopers.
A former shearer, shearing contractor, farmer and publican, Brett Thompson decided to have a crack at being a racehorse trainer and purchased his first horse, Hewentwhoosh for $4,500 at the Scone Yearling Sales in 2009.
The new career was off to a great start when Hewentwhoosh won the rich 2YO Inglis Challenge at Scone and much, much later the grand galloper was retired at 10 years of age after 101 starts which yielded 14 wins and 30 placings and prizemoney of $257,745.
There have since been a multitude of winners from the Thompson stable with one highlight being the performances of Slate On Edge which Brett gave the nickname “The Gulgong Grey” in respect of the “Goondiwindi Grey”, the famous Gunsynd.
Travelling interstate, Brett Thompson twice won the Grey Series (2014 and 2015) with Slate On Edge at the Melbourne Spring Carnivals with the wins including on Manikato Stakes Night (2014) at Moonee Valley and on Oaks Day (2015) at Flemington.
Especially satisfying for Brett Thompson was landing the quinella with More Than Art (Billy Cray) and Attalea (James Rogers) in his hometown 2018 Oatley Fine Wines-Gulgong Cup, with both jockeys being formerly from England.
The successful career of Brett Thompson has included winning the Central Districts Trainers Premiership on five successive occasions from 2012, twice winning the Western Racing Association Premiership and winning the NSW Country Trainer ‘Trainer Of The Year’ in 2016 and being the runner up in 2017.
While there are other long standing and valued members of the staff, the family of Brett Thompson are heavily involved including Brett’s sons, Ben, Kurt and Jay.
Ben Thompson is the horse breaker and trackwork rider, Kurt Thompson is stable foreman and Jay Thompson rides trackwork and helps Ben with the breaking.
Brett’s wife Kelly Thompson is always ready to help at the stable while their daughter Nikki helps when she can find the time while raising a family.
All the above stemmed from Brett’s parents Percy Thompson and Diane Thompson who have been involved in racing for many years, Percy Thompson being a former successful trainer and the long-standing president of Gulgong Turf Club and Diane Thompson the long-standing secretary of the club.