Thompson happy to play on both sides of the gavel

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Thompson has always been ambitious, taking out his trainer's licence at age 23 and training 43 winners over the past four years. He then set a new Tasmanian yearling record when paying $150,000 for an Impending colt from the draft of local powerhouse Armidale Stud last year.

But not content with simply being a trainer, the now 28-year-old decided last year to invest in Brooklyn Park Stud, taking over the running of the business with his wife Beth, and adding a stallion, Ambidexter, secured from Cornerstone Stud in the process.

His burgeoning resume will add another milestone on Monday at Quercus Park near Carrick, when he presents eight yearlings as part of the Brooklyn Park Stud 2022 draft.

But Thompson won't just be confined to the vendor's box, with full intention to continue to build the quality of racehorses in his Cressy stable via a few purchases as well.

"I've got two caps on on Monday and it will be interesting to see how it goes. It’s an exciting time to have these horses here and present them and also exciting to look at what we might buy," he told TDN AusNZ.

The opportunities on offer from the island state have never been more apparent for buyers, with recent graduates from the Sale such as Group 1 winner Mystic Journey (Needs Further) and Group 2 winner Still A Star (Toronado {Ire}).

But with the racing days of 'Betty' and 'Minnie' now over, the opportunity is there for the next generation of Tassie stars, be they equine or human, to make their mark.

Given what Thompson has achieved while still in his 20s - he even saddled up two runners at Launceston on Sunday night ahead of the Sale - he shapes as one of that next generation.

Starting basically from scratch with the new breeding operation, he has focussed on attracting a diversity of horses for the Brooklyn Park draft for the Sale.

"I feel like we have got a very even draft. It’s good to have that to get the buyers to come and have a look," he said.

"We've looked to get that balance. We have got the well-known local sire, Needs Further as well as Stratosphere and we have looked to get some mainland sires as well, like Ambidexter, National Defense, those types of sires, and then you have a Magnus as well."

Playing two-handed

The presence of two colts by Ambidexter is a strategic one for Thompson, who is looking to promote the virtues of his newly acquired stallion to the Tassie buying bench.

"Rob Dunnett owns Lot 4 and he was kind enough to send him our way, so we can have a good promotion for him. He's a really nice type and he has got better through the prep," Thompson said.

That colt is out of Red Duchez (Dubleo {USA}), the half-sister to the dam's of stakes winners Oxford Poet (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) and Ladys Angel (Arena).

Lot 73 is out of Faltaat (USA) mare De Puivert (NZ), the half-sister to Group 3 winner Petty Cury (Not A Single Doubt), who is the dam of stakes winner Solar Star (Zoustar).

"The other lot by Ambidexter is our own that we purchased when we got the stallion. He's from a deep pedigree that has thrown a few winners. He will be a nice bread-and-butter horse for someone to get into their stable, we’d hope that it would be local."

The preference for a local buyer is that Thompson would love to see Ambidexter, already to sire of 51 winners, gain a stronger profile in Tasmania.

"He had a few mares this past season with us, but we are two years away from getting his Tassie progeny to the sales. We just want to give him a bit of a head start and hope that these horses can stay local and they might be good for the stallion this time next year," he said.

Aside from that pair, the colt that Thompson has really taken a shine to is Lot 5, by Needs Further out of Redbougg (Tobougg {Ire}).

"He is a really nice type of colt and a good mover. He's not overly big, but the mare generally throws a small family. She has thrown a good horse in Red Letter Lady and I think anyone who looks at him, would be impressed on the type he is," he said.

Thompson also mentions Lot 142, a colt by Widden Victoria's shuttle stallion National Defense (GB) from Choisir mare Papiria, the half-sister to Listed Dunedin Guineas winner Champagne Ransom (Red Ransom {USA}).

"The National Defense is an underrated horse. He's just peaked right now coming into the Sale. I think if anyone of looking for an early, racey type of horse, then they really need to look at Lot 142," he said.

Gallery: Offerings from Brooklyn Park Stud's Tasmanian Yearling Sale draft, images courtesy of Magic Millions

Continuing the good work

The Brooklyn Park name carries quite a strong reputation, with graduates from the Evandale-based stud including stakes winners Bold Star (Needs Further), Jerilderie Letter (Bushranger) and Lake Sententia (California Dane) in recent years.

With an eye on what he may acquire at the one-day Sale, Thompson has also cast his eye over the rest of the catalogue in recent weeks and has been impressed with what he has seen.

"I think that this year is a stronger Sale as far as quality of types across the board, I have been around the majority of studs and there are a lot of horses there to take home that buyers will be happy with," he said.

"You have not just got your tops, middles and bottoms, there are a big lot of horses that will go to buyers that are willing to pay decent money, rather than a small percentage."