Thomson’s return hastened by suspension?

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 42

Thomson’s return hastened by suspension?

NZPA-AAP London The return to Australia of a former champion jockey, Brent Thomson, may be hastened by a suspension incurred last week-end. The suspension, Thomson’s first in four seasons of riding in Britain, means he will miss the rich Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket next week, one of the last big meetings of the season. Thomson, aged 29, has been offered a job in Melbourne by the trainer, Geoff Murphy, whose stable jockey, Gary Willetts, will miss the spring carnival through injuries sustained in a fall last week. t Before the fouriday sus-

pension for careless riding was handed down at the Bath meeting, Thomson said he would stay in England until he had fulfilled his contract with the trainer, Peter Walwyn. He said he had “a very good relationship” with his new stable, but added Walwyn understood he could not pass up an opportunity which he said was too good to turn down. This season has been Thomson’s least successful since he arrived in England to take over from Steve Cauthen as stable jockey. He has ridden only 30 winners, although he was out of action for several weeks with a broken wrist

Despite the lean period this year, Thomson has been associated with some top class horses during his four years. His first big success came on the flying filly, Committed, owned by Robert Sangster and trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld. He also won the Group I Ascot Gold Cup on Gildoran for Hills and Sangster and the Group II St James Palace Stakes at Ascot on Sure Blade, also trained by Hills. “In many ways it is a shame that I am going back because I have really got the hang of English courses and the English style of riding in tHr last two seasons,” he said.