As the gates crash open for the Coolmore Classic, a Group 1 event over 1600m, at Rosehill Gardens, late on Saturday afternoon in the outer Sydney suburbs, a shot of adrenalin will rush though a number of people worldwide.
John Thompson
A master young trainer in John Thompson, a skilled jockey aboard in Blake Shinn, a variety of co-owners, CHC Chairman Mr Teo Ah Khing, a large portion of punters and general racing fans are the group mentioned above. However, perhaps the most telling group in the future of thoroughbred racing worldwide, will be an every growing portion of mainland Chinese Racing enthusiasts, some CHC members, whose focus will be solely on the bright Red and Yellow silks carried from the gates by rising CHC owned Champion filly, First Seal.
1st Seal
A time honoured race, the Coolmore Classic is enveloped in history. Such greats as Sunline, Assertive Lass, Tuesday Joy, Skating, Bounding Away and Emancipation have engraved their name on the trophy as victors. The 55.5kgs, Blake Shinn will carry on the back of this wonderful filly, is also burdened with the extra weight of history. As if victorious as a 3yo, First Seal will join only the great 3yo fillies in Assertive Lass and Bounding Away to carry more than 55kgs to victory.
Two events have merged to bring us to this day.
The man at the helm of First Seal’s career, is a rising star in the training ranks in John Thompson. The quietly spoken, Thompson, is easy going yet extremely focused. An immediately likable person, you quickly learn that John Thompson is a hard worker, talented, dedicated, loyal and driven. You understand that he won’t waste his words but has a strong opinion on what he is saying and a confidence in his abilities. Its humbleness surrounded by confidence. It’s infectious. These are the types of people and characteristics the China Horse Club wants to associate themselves with.
John Thompson has been surrounded by successful horses for over 20 years. In this time, he worked at the Ingham’s Crown Lodge and then forged a great working relationship with the Hall of Fame trainer, Bart Cummings. John was Bart’s right hand man for nearly a decade. Countless champions have flowed through Cummings’ Leilani Lodge, guided by the experience of a leading trainer over a number of decades and watched just as closely by a young focused Thompson, success was sure to follow.
In 2009 a young mining magnate, Nathan Tinkler, approached and appointed John as his head trainer of his ever growing Patinack Farm operations. An exciting opportunity allowed John to train under his own name. Immediate success followed. Over four hundred and fifty race wins, forty plus black type victories and over $20m in prize money were collected.
The slowing down of the Patinack operation in 2013 coincided with the original CECF event which was held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. A group of thoroughbreds from around the world had been acquired and assembled in China to participate in 4 races. Always keen to undertake a challenge, John accepted a short term role to prepare some of this group for the days racing.
The second part of this equation saw in January 2013 the CHC team headed to New Zealand. The reason for the trip was to visit the NZ National Yearling Sales. The CHC was a young operation looking for a horse to put their name on the map, to deliver a message of opportunity in the development of the China Horse Club and its growing membership.
A bay filly, lot 129, by Fastnet Rock from the Group 1 winning mare, Episode, was selected from over 500 unraced, one year old thoroughbreds as the horse we felt could deliver on these aspirations. A fierce bidding battle developed but the CHC was not to be outdone on their number one selection, forced to NZ$700,000 to secure their prize.
Fast forward seven hundred and seventy five days and this same filly jumps from the barriers as First Seal. Yet how did First Seal come to be under the care of John Thompson?
So impressed were the CHC management with Thompson’s handling of staff, horses and responsibility in Hohhot that the decision was made to award one of our yearlings from that season to John for him to train.
A day trip to Think Big Stud, just over an hour from Sydney, allowed Thompson to cast his eye over the group of unraced young thoroughbreds, with the understanding that he could take his preferred option home. This group, all very well bred and extremely well conformed physically, provided a myriad of opportunity, for any trainer but more importantly for a young trainer attempting to forge a position in the competitive Sydney environment. As a striking bay filly, was brought out to be inspected, something inside told Thompson this was the one! The $700,000 Fastnet Rock x Episode filly was on her way to Sydney and number 1 box at John Thompson’s fledgling independent operation. The rest as they say is history.
This wonder filly, already the winner of the Group 1 Flight Stakes, Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes and Group 2 Surround Stakes, has captured the imagination of the racing world. Carrying the same red and yellow national colours, on her bright silks, she is becoming a symbol of what can be achieved by mainland Chinese in the thoroughbred world. An ever growing following from China offers an insight into the new and exciting developments the CHC wishes to offer to its members. It’s this excitement and rush of adrenalin we wish to share with you.
So as the barriers crash open late on Saturday afternoon, John Thompson will edge further forward on the edge of his seat but giving nothing away. Brought together by hard work and loyalty, nerves and emotions will be running high but that confidence will again be present.