With the best jockeys in the country on the Gold Coast, John Thompson was faced with a tough decision on who he should get to ride Thy Kingdom Come at Randwick on Saturday.
The four-year-old has shown promise after a preparation that has tested the character of his trainer. At his first three starts there were varying excuses before he was delivered into the winner’s circle by James McDonald on the Kensington track at Randwick before Christmas.
Thumbs up: John Thompson believes he has found the right rider for Thy Kingdom in Linda MeechCredit:AAP
McDonald went with Thy Kingdom Come, which had shown a tendency to overrace back in the field earlier in his preparation, rather than restraining him. When he let him slide from the 800m the result was a 4-3/4 length victory.
“Ideally you want the same bloke on it again, but he’s on the Gold Coast,” Thompson said. “I was trying to find someone with soft hands and that is good on [a] frontrunner. I found out Linda Meech was coming up for the meeting and it was an easy decision.
“She has ridden a lot for [Peter] Moody in the old days and knows how to be positive on them. They run for her and that suits what we need.
“We are going to ride him positively again. After seeing him get held up back in the field at the two [runs] before Randwick, we know he is better when he has got room to move.
“The form out of the race is pretty good, the horse he beat [Love Shack Baby] has won twice since.
“I think he is a nice horse, it has been hard to get him to show it. He gets in well at the weights on Saturday and it will get him up in the ratings for races we are thinking about with him.”
While Thy Kingdom Come is a $2.30 favourite with BetEasy, Thompson also likes the chance of Sweet Deal, which seems good value around the $6.50 mark in the previous race.
“This has been her best preparation and really with a touch of luck she could have won all four of her runs,” Thompson said. “She looks like getting a good run just off Samadoubt and she will keep going.
“The good thing about her is you know what she is going to give you.”
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