Young jockey Adin Thompson handles shock Group 1 sacking from Zouna with class

Young Queensland jockey Adin Thompson has been devastated to lose the ride on Zouna for Saturday’s Group 1 JJ Atkins but has handled the matter with class.

Young Queensland jockey Adin Thompson has been shattered by losing the ride on Zouna for Saturday’s Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography.

Young Queensland jockey and father-of-two Adin Thompson says he is shattered to lose the ride on Group 1 contender Zouna but will still be cheering loudly for the horse on Saturday.

The 22-year-old has ridden the Group 1 JJ Atkins challenger in all five of the two-year-old colt’s career starts, including when finishing runner-up behind JJ Atkins hot favourite Broadsiding in the $1m Sires’ Produce Stakes last start.

But, in a call by Zouna’s owners, Thompson has been dumped in favour of Melbourne Cup winning jockey Mark Zahra for the JJ Atkins where the Lawrie Mayfield-Smith trained colt is a $15 chance.

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Melbourne Cup winner Mark Zahra is Zouna’s new rider in Saturday’s Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm. Picture: Russell Millard

Although devastated by losing the ride, the classy Thompson has still ridden Zouna in his final gallops this week before Saturday’s JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm.

And he only wants the best for Zouna and connections.

“I’m shattered by losing the ride and I’m obviously very disappointed at not being able to ride such a live chance in a Group 1 race,” Thompson told Racenet.

“But I have still ridden the horse at work since I learned I had lost the ride.

“It’s not like I don’t want to see the horse run well.

“I want to see the horse win the Group 1 on Saturday just as much as the owners do.

“I hope it wins for them.

“I am very disappointed to not keep the ride, especially after running second on it last start in the Sires’ Produce.

Adin Thompson has lost the ride on Zouna in the JJ Atkins but has handled the decision with class. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography.

“But I guess that’s just how the racing game is.

“It was great to have the opportunity to ride such a lovely horse with such potential.

“When you get to sit on horses with ability like Zouna, it helps you find other horses with ability because you’ve had that feeling of sitting on a good horse before.”

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For Thompson, who has a young family including children aged three and five, it would have been his first Group 1 ride.

He has no hard feelings towards the Mayfield-Smith stable.

Thompson revealed assistant trainer Damian Mayfield-Smith was overcome with emotion when he rang to tell Thompson he had lost the Zouna ride.

“Damian is a tough man and, before now, I’ve never seen him show his emotions,” Thompson said.

Zouna with Adin Thompson in the saddle. Picture: Grant Peters – Trackside Photography.

“But I’ve spoken to him probably four times in the last few days and he’s been quite emotional about it.

“This horse was picking me up and was picking their stable up at the same time.

“But this was a decision that was made by the owners, there’s not much I can do.”

After staring death in the face with bowel cancer in 2018, Lawrie Mayfield-Smith is looking to win his first Group 1 on Saturday.

Brisbane’s longest serving trainer is the brother of Brian, who ended the legendary Tommy Smith’s 33-year reign as Sydney’s leading trainer in the 1985-86 racing season.

Originally published as Young jockey Adin Thompson handles shock Group 1 sacking from Zouna with class