Five years ago Brett Thompson sold up his businesses and decided to become a full-time professional trainer.
That decision has been nothing but a success and on Sunday the Gulgong trainer was celebrating his fifth straight Central Districts premiership with a personal best 56 winners during the 2015/16 season.
Only Paul Perry, based in Newcastle, trained more winners in all of country NSW for the season.
While the trainer receives most of the plaudits, Thompson was adamant his entire team plays a part, with this result eclipsing his previous best of 36 winners in a season.
“It’s not just the trackwork riders or me, it’s all the staff who are here everyday,” he said.
“I’d really like to thank Ian Binks the vet, Garry Christou the chiropractor, Shane Moss the farrier and all the staff here at the Thompson stables.”
Thompson was equally glowing when talking about all the owners he works with, but in particular Roger and Nerida Atkinson and Dubbo’s Bob Slack-Smith, who breed a lot of their own horses.
“I’ve got a really good bunch of owners and without them none of us would have a job and they’ve always let us do it the way we’ve wanted to,” he said.
All but one of Thompson’s winners counted towards his NSW tally, with star gelding Slate On Edge winning a $100,000 at Victoria’s famed Flemington racetrack.
While that was an undoubted highlight, the trainer was equally pleased with his tough six-year-old, Dark Mojo.
“I was really pleased to win the Coonamble Cup, that was one I always wanted to win, with Dark Mojo and he had a good season.
“He won four country cups and to win the Louth Cup and the Coonamble Cup, one over 2000m and one over 1600m, was a great job.”
The task for Thompson and all his team now is to improve on what was a memorable 2015/16.
And judging by the work put in already he is every chance of doing that.
“We’ve got plans set, and about a month ago we started some babies and yearlings in work,” he said.
“We bought a lot of two-year-olds and yearlings and some are of a very high quality from Radoute’s Choice, Fastnet Rock and Hinchinbrook but there’s no guarantees.
“We’ve got about 20 to 25 of them and they’re all being aimed towards 10 weeks time at the two-year-old race at Tamworth. They won’t all race there but that’s what we’re aiming for and we’ve built more stables for them.”