Fighting spirit runs deep for Thompson family

By Andrew Smith

Jockeys Ben Thompson and Stephanie Thornton have faced plenty of challenges in the saddle, but neither of them were prepared for the biggest fight of their lives when son Harry was born.

The young family has been enjoying a break back in Queensland at their Buccan property, following Thompson’s first stint riding at the prestigious Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The 27-year-old and wife Steph uprooted their lives in the Sunshine State to move overseas for the opportunity in February.

Thompson returned to Hong Kong this week to continue riding until at least the end of 2024, with his licence recently extended to December.

“It’s been a real whirlwind to best describe it - from an unexpected call to head over there to an eight-week stint turning into five months, and with another three months to come,” Thompson said.

“It’s been incredible, a great experience and a real adventure for Steph, myself and our little boy.

“The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s incredible, we have an apartment and anything we ask for, it’s generally given to us or given without asking, so we feel like we’re treated like royalty.

“It’s just a matter of riding and making the most of our opportunities there.

“Whether it extends beyond the next three months, time will tell but we’re taking things with both hands at the moment.”

Thompson claimed his maiden Group 1 win on 2023 Queensland Horse of the Year Uncommon James in the Oakleigh Plate early last year.

It took 48 rides for the Victorian-born hoop to notch his first win at Sha Tin, breaking through on Courier Magic in March.

He finished his first season abroad with seven winners to his name, but for Thompson, the racing was the easy bit.

Acting as his own agent and sharing dressing rooms with some of the biggest names in world racing are part and parcel of the Hong Kong experience.

“With racing sometimes six days in a week (in Australia), you make the most of having a manager here,” Thompson said.

“Over there you are your own agent, constantly liaising with trainers and owners, so heading into unfamiliar territory it’s a big thing to make the transition but that’s probably the biggest change.

“Obviously like any jockey’s room whether you’re moving interstate or even in different regions, the styles can be quite different so it’s just adapting and getting used to your riders.

“It’s incredible sharing the room with the likes of the riders that are there - Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman, Andrea Atzeni, Alexis Badel, Brenton Avdulla, Karis Teetan – the list goes on, it’s such a strong roster of riders.

“To able to share the room with those riders and watch what they do not only on the track but off the track, it’s hopefully something that I’d like to think can make me better as a rider and allow me to develop as time goes on.”

Living in the “Hong Kong bubble” sees Ben, Steph and Harry residing in an apartment on course alongside fellow hoops and their families, with the jockey’s rooms a two-minute walk from their front door.

For Steph, motherhood and the move overseas meant putting her own burgeoning career in the saddle on hold.

But it’s an experience the 25-year-old is relishing.

“Hong Kong’s been crazy, it’s been a huge adventure from the beginning - it came out of the blue for both of us,” Thornton said.

“It’s been very cruisy for myself and I’m there to support Ben and look after Harry and it’s a great role to be in.

“It’s a phenomenal opportunity for Ben’s career and something that I’m very proud of him for being able to achieve and looking forward to what the future holds for him over there.”

The challenges of racing and adjusting to life overseas pale in comparison to the adversity the young family faced last year.

20 weeks into Steph’s pregnancy, scans revealed that baby Harry had complications with his heart, suffering from a rare congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries.

Born in late September, Harry was immediately whisked away for a procedure before undergoing a 13-hour life-saving operation at just two weeks of age.

After five and a half weeks in hospital, Ben and Steph were finally able to take Harry home.

“It was really tough, I think naturally as any young parent goes into that chapter of their lives, you go in quite naïve not anticipating things to go wrong - obviously when something does it’s a bit of a shock to the system,” Thornton said.

“It wasn’t like a typical newborn period, and obviously he’s a tough little man, it puts a lot of things into perspective for you.

“We can’t thank the Mater in Brisbane and the Children’s Hospital enough because without them we wouldn’t have him here with us today and that’s just a reality that we had to face.

“It was by far the longest period of Ben and I’s lives but to see where he is now and how well he’s going, the doctors couldn’t be happier with him and as long as they’re happy, then we are happy.”

Harry is now 11 months old and a happy and healthy baby.

Around horses all their lives, having a newborn has not really changed the couple’s lifestyle when it comes to early starts.

They have settled into life as parents with ease.

“Ben’s an amazing dad, he has been from day one and he not only supports Harry but he supports me too,” Thornton said.

“He’s so patient with the both of us and that’s something I’ve always loved about him and having Harry has only really enhanced that.

“My favourite thing is when Ben walks in the door after track work and Harry’s face lights up when he sees him and seeing how much Ben means to him is the most beautiful thing in the world to me.”

Thompson added: “Steph’s been incredible - no surprise, given how she is with her animals, she’s somewhat a natural mum and she’s been amazing.

“It feels like Harry has fitted into our lifestyle very easily and I’ve been blessed with a little boy who sleeps and eats very well so we’re pretty lucky.

“It’s probably a bit of a cliché but it’s the best thing that’s happened to Steph and I.”

As a tough fighter like his mum and dad, the inevitable question is whether Harry will follow his parents into the riding ranks sometime in the future.

“I’d be very happy for him at this stage for him to ride , I think it’s exciting thinking about it, Steph maybe not so much, but the way he’s heading he might be a bit bigger than his Mum and Dad,” Thompson said with a laugh.

Thornton added: “If I had my way, I would probably keep him out of the jockey’s room - in all honesty he can be whatever he wants to be and we’ll support him no matter what.

“If he wants to go out there and be a jockey, then I think deep down I would love to see that.”

Steph herself has been back in the saddle during the family’s sojourn in Australia.

In February, she rode for the first time since giving birth, finishing second on Magnus Bellagio at Eagle Farm, before the move overseas two days later.

And she has picked up where she left off this month, riding for her dad – trainer Glenn Thornton – in trackwork and in meetings on the Sunshine Coast, Lismore and Ipswich.

She notched her first win in just under 18 months when piloting Cold One to victory at Lismore in early August.

“It was great to get a winner for him and really special because we just missed out earlier in the year when I did come back,” Thornton said.

“I’ve always loved riding, always loved being in the saddle -  it’s all I’ve ever known for the past eight years and I very much enjoyed being out there for a bit of fun again.”

Whether Steph makes a full-time return to racing when the family returns home later this year is still up in the air.

Ben is contracted until the international meeting on December 8, with his future in Hong Kong undecided after that.

If she does make a full return to racing, Thornton will take inspiration from other female hoops who have hopped back into the saddle as a mother.

Nikita Beriman, Christine Puls and Linda Meech are just a few jockeys who have got back on the horse after welcoming their first child.

“If we’re back at the end of the year and the time’s right I’d love to get back into it but obviously our world revolves around Harry now and Ben’s adventures in Hong Kong wherever they take us,” Thornton said.

“It’s a question I’ve been asked plenty, like did things change - because I know a lot of women who haven’t returned because they haven’t felt the same riding horses again.

“Seeing the likes of Nikita Berriman, I don’t think she returned until about three years and she told me the whole way along she would never get back in the saddle, it was never in her agenda.

“One day she thought it was the right thing to do and you can see how great she’s gone up here in Queensland.

“Christine Puls in Victoria has done an amazing job…Linda Meech, she’s obviously a brilliant rider in Melbourne and she’s taken the motherhood fantastically and has gone back to her career like she’s never left.

“It’s fantastic to see those women before you being able to do those things…because we have to take that period away from it to support our families and have the future that we want.

“But knowing that we can walk back into racing when we want makes it a lot easier.”