Thomas Stockdale in career-best form with wedding bills looming

Thomas Stockdale is in the best form of his career which has been timed perfectly with a wedding to organise.

Quick trips to Victoria’s rugged high country will need to be enough to keep in-form jockey Thomas Stockdale fresh for one of the busiest periods of his life.

Stockdale is enjoying the best season of his career to date.

He has always posted a personal best 66 wins for the season while amassing a career high $2.9m in prizemoney with four months to go in the 2023/24 season.

Stockdale has ridden three Group 3 winners since the end of November and landed the richest win of his career when he steered Savannah Cloud to victory in last Friday’s $500,000 Country Discovery at Yarra Valley.

Stockdale has perfectly timed his rise.

He’ll need all the funds he can earn in the coming months.

He has to bankroll a wedding.

Stockdale will marry the younger sister of fellow jockey Beau Mertens in the culmination of a relationship that became public in strange circumstances.

Stockdale said Mertens only learned of the relationship after he was loaded into the back of an ambulance while his new girlfriend was in tears after a barrier accident at Stony Creek in 2018.

Thomas Stockdale celebrating after riding Vibrant Sun to a strong win in Group 3 grade at The Valley. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

“Beau had no idea until I was in the back of the ambulance and she was crying outside,” Stockdale said.

“He had no idea we were seeing each other until that day. It was a shock for him.”

Stockdale’s big season, which took him past the 300-win mark, has led to him receiving high praise from the likes of Mick Price and Phillip Stokes after his recent big wins.

The jockey said securing rides from top trainers such as Price, Stokes and the Peter Moody camps fulfilled an ambition backed up with consistent work on the training track.

“It’s been great to be getting the support of those bigger stables,” Stockdale said.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to be where I’m at now to be riding for those bigger stables in the bigger races against the best riders.

“That’s no knock on riding in the bush of a Saturday but that’s been a goal that I’ve been working towards for a long time to be in this position.

“I try to be as consistent as I can going into those stables each week.”

Thomas Stockdale steered Gumdrops to victory at Group 3 level at The Valley last month. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

Consistently riding work at Cranbourne and Pakenham has brought the desired results after Stockdale rode a Group 3 double for Price at training partner Michael Kent Jr at The Valley last month.

However, Stockdale was keen to preserve his form by staying physically and mentally sharp.

Hence, the quick trips into the Victorian high country to get away from racing – and mobile phone coverage.

Sometimes, Stockdale even gets away from people.

“I’m happy being up there by myself but company is always good,” Stockdale said.

“I’m a country boy at heart and I love my hunting and getting up the bush.

“I love getting away into the country because when there’s no phone reception, it might only be a couple of days but it can feel like a week.

“Having 24 hours off your phone can do you the world of good.”

Stockdale will shoot for his fourth Group 3 win on the Paul Preusker-trained Captain Envious as one of five rides at Caulfield on Saturday.

Originally published as Thomas Stockdale in career-best form with wedding bills looming