Australia’s most winning jockey Robert Thompson resurrected the career of tough campaigner Collar, winning the open handicap on the first day of the Port Macquarie Cup carnival last Friday.
Collar, an eight-year-old gelding with 55 trips to the races, had not saluted since it won the Ballina Cup some 12 months ago, but showed all its dash with Thompson on board to take out the race by half a length starting at double figure odds.
Thompson’s best mate Jeremy Sylvester trains the gelding that races in the ownership of his wife and two children and has now won eight races and been placed on 13 occasions for prizemoney totalling $361,793.
Collar had seemed to lose form but with Thompson reuniting with the gelding since his last ride in April the stage was set for a welcome return to the winners list.
Thompson continued his run on day two of the carnival winning on the Kris Lees trained favourite Isthmian in the maiden event and later on Suggestapartner in the 200 metres handicap.
Like Collar, Suggestapartner trained by Les Tilley, had been having a run of outs with its last win back in June last year at Muswellbrook. The winner won its maiden at Port Macquarie in November 2014.
The win was the gelding’s third from 34 starts that included seven minor placings. Earlier on in the program, Thompson finished third in the $50,000 sprint on the ultra consistent Fabry, part owned by his mother Phyllis.
Thompson became Australia’s most winning jockey in July 2008 when he took his tally to 3323 at Port Macquarie.
