The local connection came to the fore in the first race on the card with Thompson steering the well-supported More Questions to a half-length win over top weight See You Saturday.

Trained at the Cessnock track by Todd Howlett, it was the 3-year-old More Than Ready gelding’s fifth career start, relegating See You Saturday into second place who was having his first start for Cessnock trainer Robert Davies after transferring from the John O’Shea stable at Randwick.

Claiming Sydney apprentice Rachel Murray was seen at her best angling out Supercheap in the final 50 metres to win the Cessnock Advertiser handicap for trainer Jeremy Sylvester.

The 6-year-old gelding went into the event third up from an 88-day let up and made it win number three form 39 starts.

Visiting trainers had a big impact on the meeting with the Connors family’s Clarry and Marc leading in winners Steptorio and Decision Made while Randwick-based trainers Patrick and Wayne Webster led in the last winner on the program with Strong, owner by retail giant Gerry Harvey.

Racing was keenly contested with winning margins in three of the races by two half heads and a short neck.

Thompson’s win puts him on equal terms in the Cessnock jockey’s premiership on four wins with Andrew Gibbons, while Todd Howlett’s double puts him within one win of Kris Lees in the trainers’ premiership.

Racing returns to Wine Country Race Club on Monday, February 4.