Spotlight On: Ben Thompson and Stephanie Thornton

Ben Thompson and Stephanie Thornton are the new glamour couple of Queensland Racing.

Both are relative newcomers to the Sunshine State, but since arriving they have cemented themselves as among our brightest talents.

By Ross Prowd

Stephanie Thornton made the move to Queensland first, having grown up in Modewarre, Victoria.

Ben Thompson followed more recently, arriving only during the first COVID lock down.

They have recently purchased a house together midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which allows them to travel easily to all of the tracks in South East Queensland.

“When it comes to Queensland, we are loving it here. We see our future being based in Queensland for the rest of our lives,” Ben said.

Ben grew up in Cranbourne, Victoria, and eventually moved to Pearcedale located between Cranbourne and Mornington.

His father, Jason, is a leading greyhound trainer and has been for as long as Ben can remember.

Although it initially began as a hobby, Jason was training full time by the time Ben was only five-years-old.

His mother, Seona, was born and raised in Ballarat. Her grandfather was also greyhound trainer, and her father was a racing administrator and the manager at Ballarat. He was a grader for Racing Victoria and still drives the lure at the races.

Ben, at 24 years of age, is the eldest of four children. 

“After school we would get changed, have something to eat and then help out with the greyhounds,” he said.

“I love the dogs and, to this day, they would be my biggest interest outside of the thoroughbreds. But I could never ever see myself training — I actually had plans to do something at university down the track until I rode a horse.”

Ben didn't ride a horse until the age of 15 when he visited family friends, Frank and Julie Stockdale, who trained horses at Sale in Gippsland in Victoria.

“On school holidays I went to their property for a week at Easter in 2012. I got a job about a month later with Michael Kent at Cranbourne, and eight months later I was in the Victorian Apprentice school, so it happened very quickly,” Ben said.

He fondly remembers attending a Cranbourne tri-code meeting with the dogs, trots and gallops on the same day.

“I was always star struck when I saw horses. SKY Channel was always on at home growing up, and I would always take an interest when Mum and Dad would take a Quaddie on a Saturday afternoon. I did a school project on Lee Freedman and at the tri-code I got Chris Symon’s autograph and was over the moon,” Ben said.

“However, my interest was always more in the jockeys and trainers rather than the horses. My favourite jockeys were Damien Oliver and Jim Cassidy. I had a wooden rocking horse when I was little, and its name was Jimmy Pumper.”

The Thornton family, on the other hand,  have a rich thoroughbred racing heritage. Steph’s great grandfather, Jerry Thornton, was a trainer and her grandfather, Peter, helped out with the horses. Jerry’s best horse was Peter Blank who won more than 30 races including both the Ballarat and Mornington Cups. The Thornton family still sponsors an annual race at Terang named in his honour.

Steph’s parents, Glenn and Wendy, continued the training tradition although Glenn did have around 80 rides as an apprentice when he was young. The couple also recently moved to the Gold Coast where they have around six horses in work.

“I think growing up around horses, we just got into riding ourselves. My two older brothers, Damien and Boris, and I all did a lot of pony club and equestrian. Damien always wanted to be a jockey—for as long as I can remember that is all he wanted to do. I think watching Damien do it made Boris want to do it, and me not long after,” Steph said.

“Pony club teaches you a lot more about how to get a feel of a horse and their different attributes, which gives you a really great foundation.”

Steph competed up to two star level in eventing, including at state and national levels, and in both the Melbourne International and the Australian Nationals three day events. Damien is now one of the leading jockeys in Melbourne while Boris is rapidly making a name for himself in Brisbane following a lengthy period on the sidelines due to injury.

When pressed on which of the Thornton siblings is the better jockey, Ben said, “I would have to say that Steph is the better rider of the two, because she will read this. But they are both very good jockeys with some similarities.”

“They are both natural horse people. They grew up riding horses and are very natural in the saddle. Both have different styles in a finish, but both are very effective.”

Steph’s first memory of the races goes back to taking the day off of school to accompany her father to the Geelong races.

“I was not old enough to strap, so I would sit there and watch. The Clerk of the Course was Des Snart and he and his horse were always opposite us. I would walk across and spend a lot of time with him and his pony, Buddy,” Steph said.

Ben is a natural lightweight and fortunately can eat what he likes.

“I think I have taken my size from mum’s side of the family. Dad is tall and so are my brother and sister,” Ben said.

“I am pretty lucky as well with my weight,” added Steph, “but I enjoy eating clean, and keeping myself light anyway. I find it a good lifestyle and try to stay around 52kg or 53kg.”

Both Steph and Ben went through the Victorian Apprentice School. Ben was indentured to Alan and Jason Williams. He started in 2014 while Steph started with her father in 2016.

“In Victoria we have a brilliant apprentice school,” Ben said.

“It gives you a good grounding and a range of teachers and tutors that really cover all bases.”

Ben was actually in the same class as Steph’s brother, Boris. 

Coaches Matthew Hyland and Matthew Pumpa were a big influence on the couple, and both also study the other jockeys that they ride against, especially during their apprentice days.

Craig Williams is the son of Alan Williams, and brother to Jason, and was always in close contact. He has always been a big mentor of mine,” Ben said.

“In the girls’ room when I started, I had Nikita Berryman take me under her wing, and we’ve become great friends. She is sort of like a big sister to me,” Steph said.

“There are so many good jockeys. It has been awesome for me, personally, to be able to ride against the likes of James McDonald and Hugh Bowman. I think they are brilliant to watch, and what they have both achieved is unreal.”

Both talk at length about the qualities that make a good jockey but agree there are no rules. Steph said strength is taken out of the equation at the moment.

“It used to be very much who was the strongest but nowadays with the whip rule changes and the way races are run, it is more about technique and tactics as opposed to strength,” she said.

“On top of that there are three things that I think make a good jockey. Patience, and that is not only in a race but in a career too. Like anything, if you don’t want to be the best then you shouldn’t be doing it. In a race too you must be patient, you can’t burn the candle at both ends. A jockey needs composure, and that means being able to cover all bases, and a good work ethic,” Ben said.

Ben spent a season in Singapore between leaving Victoria and joining Steph in Queensland and he learnt a lot during this stint.

“There are a lot of different styles there because there are jockeys from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa and Europe as well. In Australia, between Victoria, NSW and Queensland, jockeys all have a similar sort of style, but over there it is a lot different,” he said.

“I definitely picked up a few things and there were some jockeys that I really admired. I became really close with Michael Rodd and became very familiar with the way he rides, as well as a Malaysian jockey called Benny Woodworth.

“I didn’t bring any hints back for Steph, as I have to keep my cards close to my chest. She is doing pretty well the way it is and I need every advantage I can get.”

The couple are very competitive, both on and off the track. While Ben admits to being Steph’s greatest supporter, he is equally clear that he hates running second to her on the track.

“If we are doing something, even like playing cards off the track, and one of us is losing it is on for young and old,” Steph said.

Ben added that if it is clear that he is better than Steph she will just stop. On the other hand, Steph always wins at mini-golf so Ben has declared that game is now off limits.

 “Before the race we do our form and homework and preparation for the races. We will do that almost completely separate, because we could be each other’s biggest competition in a race and we don’t want to give any hints. But post-race we go over things together really closely,” Ben said.

Ben recently suffered a setback with a four-month suspension.

“It was tough,” Ben said.

“I was unable to race ride for a period, which is what I love doing. I made a mistake and had to take my medicine. Now I have to put it behind me and move forward.”

The pair ride track work as a rule four to five days a week.

“We find the more work you do, the more you get out of it,” Ben said.

“I love what I do, and I wouldn’t change being a jockey for the world.”

Steph did add that the couple saw a family in the future for them, but that she would be riding for the foreseeable future. And with Steph’s parents now also calling Queensland home, we might just be seeing the start of another great local racing dynasty.

Congratulations to Steph and Ben.

The Thornton and Thompson families attended an annual dinner at a restaurant at Main Beach following the Magic Millions race day. It has been a tradition for the last three years, and three generations of the families were in attendance.

However, this year’s dinner had a twist, with Ben getting down on one knee to propose.

“We didn’t ride a winner on Magic Millions Day, but it sure felt like we did,” Steph said.

It came as a complete surprise to all there apart from Steph’s father, who had given his blessing earlier without even telling his wife. The only downside was that both Steph and Ben had to ride at the Sunshine Coast the following day.

The celebrations must have agreed with Ben as he rode Corvo to win for Tony Gollan.

The happy couple are planning to marry early next year, and we wish them all the best for the future.