Magic Millions 2021: Jockey Stephanie Thornton to race partner Ben Thompson
Stephanie Thornton says riding against her partner Ben Thompson in the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas on Saturday is fine “as long as we don’t bring work home.”
NSW
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Jockey Stephanie Thornton will not be granting any favours when she goes up against partner Ben Thompson in the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas on Saturday.
“It is the biggest race we have ever been in together and it’s very competitive,” Thornton, 21, said on Wednesday. “There’s no looking after each other out there that’s for sure.”
Thornton will be riding Gotta Kiss, owned by a syndicate of women including Sarah and Lydia Robins, while Thompson will be on long shot Shooting For Gold.
Thornton said the secret to a happy relationship for the two jockeys “is not taking work home”.
But she added the proviso that if they get in each other’s way on Saturday “then we are going to have a big problem”.
The annual Magic Millions yearling sale on the Gold Coast has defied coronavirus doomsayers to open with a swag of big sales including several to syndicates of small investors keen for a stake in the main game. Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said that even without international buyers or many trainers and bloodstock agents from Sydney they sale was on track to break last year’s $180 million total.
“I think the confidence in spending is justified because racing is in a wonderful place,” he said. “For a while last year it was the only live sport in the world.
“We are seeing a big increase in the numbers of mum and dad investors and young people who are engaging in racing.”
Coolmore principal Tom Magnier battled his way into Queensland to be at the sale and followed his auction topping $1.9 million purchase on day one with the $1.8 million purchase of a colt sired by British champion Kingman yesterday.
Coolmore racing manager Rob Archibald said the purchases are “a reflection of the confidence we have in the Australian racing industry”.
NRL legend Billy Slater’s colt, one of the last to be sired by the late legend Redoute’s Choice, sold for $425,000.
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Originally published as Magic Millions 2021: Jockey Stephanie Thornton to race partner Ben Thompson
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