Fatherhood and Hong Kong prepare Ben Thompson for Caulfield Cup tilt with Ciaron Maher import Sayedaty Sadaty
If you told Ben Thompson two years ago that he will be in the situation he will be in on Saturday, he would have told you you’re a dreamer.
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Ben Thompson will jet into Melbourne for the Caulfield Cup with the weight of the world off his shoulders as he looks to land the biggest race of his life.
Only a year ago, the now Hong Kong-based jockey was riding in Brisbane and went through the scariest moment of his life when his son Harry underwent lifesaving heart surgery when he was 13 days old.
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Now Thompson is a regular on the riding roster in Hong Kong with his family settled and has the racing world at his feet as he looks to land the Group 1 Caulfield Cup aboard fancied import Sayedaty Sadaty on Saturday.
Harry, along with wife Stephanie Thornton will cheer on from Hong Kong on Saturday, but Thompson said it is hard to imagine how much life has changed in a year.
“Harry has become a frequent flyer since we moved up here … He turned one last month and he is flying along,” Thompson told Racenet from Hong Kong.
“Even if you go two years back, to think we will be parents and living in Hong Kong, if someone said that two us then, I would have said you’re dreaming.
“I wouldn’t change our position for anything.”
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Thompson said Sayedaty Sadaty is his best ever big-race chance in what will be just his second Caulfield Cup ride and admits he dreams of the day he can bring Harry to the races to see him win.
“When we were back in the off season and Steph was riding a few times, he came to the races, so hopefully when he gets a bit older, he can realise what is going on,” Thompson said.
“Away from Uncommon James in the Oakleigh Plate, who I thought would just win, this is the best chance I have had in a big race.”
In what was a nervous wait for Thompson, Sayedaty Sadaty only just scraped into the Caulfield Cup field earlier this week, despite being booked for the ride last month.
“I was booked for him three-and-a-half weeks ago, so it has been a long time coming,” he said.
“Even at second acceptances, he was 35th (on ballot order), so I asked the boys if they thought he would get in, they came back said ‘definitely’.
“That was good for me, I didn’t think anymore of it, they ended up being spot on.
“I naturally went back and watched his replays and there were a few names that jumped out straight away like City Of Troy, Los Angeles and the (Melbourne) Cup favourite Jan Brueghel.
“He has a great barrier and he couldn’t be in better hands, he is so well sourced by Australian Bloodstock, who are renowned for winning these races, which fills me with confidence.”
Originally published as Fatherhood and Hong Kong prepare Ben Thompson for Caulfield Cup tilt with Ciaron Maher import Sayedaty Sadaty
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