Racing: Sue Thompson stormed to Wellington Steeples success 30 years ago

Sue Thompson and husband Mick Brown pictured with Zed Leppelin.

Tomorrow's Wellington Steeplechase at Trentham holds special memories for Hastings thoroughbred trainer Sue Thompson - it was 30 years ago that she created history by becoming the first female to ride the winner of the prestigious race.

Thompson was a 26-year-old amateur jockey when she teamed up with Hastings-trained Storm to score a dramatic win in the 1987 running of the time-honoured event.
She had already made history 12 months earlier when she became the first female to win a steeplechase on Trentham's figure-eight course, guiding the Paul Nelson-trained Storm to a 4 length victory in a B grade race over 4000m.

Thompson built up a great affinity with the Makor gelding following that success and Nelson, who raced the horse in partnership with his wife Carol, had no hesitation in keeping her on for the major steeplechase races at the 1987 Wellington winter meeting.
Storm had been only the fourth favourite in a field of six in the Eric Riddiford Steeples on the first day. But when he and Thompson easily beat the opposition in that 4000m event they became one of the favourites for the much longer $75,000 Steel and Tube Wellington Steeples (5500m) a week later.

The opposition was a great deal tougher however, with top jumpers Lord Venture, Orca, Zeb and Seeyoulater in the field.

But it made no difference. Sue Thompson became the toast of Trentham that day after she punched Storm out to win the feature event, despite losing a stirrup iron with 400m to run.

Thompson had only one foot in her irons when Storm jumped the last fence but managed to keep her balance and extract the necessary extra effort from the horse in the run to the line to beat Sir Hugh by 4 lengths, with Lord Venture a further 3 lengths back in third place.

"It was a funny sort of a race," Thompson recalled this week. "With a round to go he (Storm) just took off and circled the field. I had to steady him again because I knew we still had a long way to go.

"At the third-to-last fence I thought I could run fourth. At the second-to-last I thought I could run second and then, going over the crossing at the top of the straight, I thought we could win this and so I gave him an almighty kick with my right foot and it came out of the stirrup.

"I had to ride with one leg flapping out the side after that but it didn't matter too much because I rode pretty long anyway," she added.

Thompson, who has also been one of New Zealand's top equestrian riders, was 18 when she had her first race ride. She then had a break of five years before taking it up again aged 24 and competed in her last race seven years ago.

She amassed 30 wins in total and can recall winning the Duke Of Gloucester Cup, the prestige trophy for amateur jockeys in New Zealand, four times.

One of those wins was aboard Abba Bay at Hastings in July 2000, a day of which she also has fond memories.

"That day Paul and Carol Nelson won the Hawke's Bay Hunt Centennial Steeplechase with No Fooling but they were away holidaying in the UK so I had to pick up the trophies on their behalf, as well as my own one for winning the Duke Of Gloucester Cup," she recalled.

She had 29 rides on Storm for three wins, two seconds and seven thirds, with two of those third placings being in the 1988 Hawke's Bay Steeples and 1988 Grand National Steeples.

Two other women have since gone on to win the Wellington Steeplechase. Michelle Hopkins was successful aboard Flash Hunter in 1997 and Tina Egan recorded back-to-back victories on Kildary King in 1998 and 1999. But Thompson will always remain the first ever female to win a prestige jumping race in New Zealand.

Nowadays she trains in partnership with husband Mick Brown and they will line up Zed Leppelin in the maiden hurdle race at tomorrow's Wellington meeting. The Zed Gelding won two races in a row on the flat at Hastings earlier this season and has recorded two good fourths over hurdles in his last two starts.

Storm was a 10-year-old when he won the race and had an interesting career. He had been owned by Ken Browne in his early days and then was taken over by leading equestrian rider Harvey Wilson when Ken and Ann Browne decided to cull several horses from their large team.

Jack Tims, who had won the Wellington Steeplechase on Conkeda as an amateur jockey in 1957, then became Storm's owner and he in turn leased the horse to Hastings couple Paul and Carol Nelson.

The Nelsons decided to exercise a right of purchase on Storm following his Wellington Steeples win but the horse never won another race. "We had the money there to buy him so we did and, although he never won again, he did run a fair few placings," Nelson said this week.

HB weanling walk

The Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay branch of New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders will stage its annual weanling walk on Sunday, July 23.

The parade of weanlings will begin at 10am at Guy Lowry's property (305 Kawera Road, Okawa) and then continue on to three other properties.

Some of the weanlings on show are by the highly successful sires Swiss Ace, Per Incanto, Reliable Man and Rip Van Winkle while other stallions represented include Shamexpress, Niagara, Charm Spirit, Bullet Train and Jakkalberry.

At the completion of the weanling walk a luncheon will be held at Off The Track Restaurant on Havelock Road, starting at 12.30pm.

For catering purposes, those intending to partake in the luncheon need to make a reservation with either Sharyn Craig at email: mike.sharyn@xtra.co.nz and mobile: 027 4999084 or Isabell Roddick at email: montanalodge@xtra.co.nz and phone: (06) 8798662.

Gold Trail Stakes plans

Dashing filly Florence Jean is likely to make at least one appearance at this year's Hawke's Bay spring carnival.

Owner-trainer John Morell was unsure before last Saturday's outing at Ruakaka whether the daughter of Pins would be taking on the best of her age group in the new season, but he has no doubts now.

Florence Jean thumped her rivals in the Tavistock Owners' Syndicate Two-year-old in her return to racing and the Group 3 Hawke's Bay Breeders' Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) on September 23 is now a target with the possibility of a lead-up run on the first day of the Hastings meeting, on September 2.

"We'll see what happens, but we will be looking at those races," Morell said.

"It's been hard to get a line on her at home. She's only had a couple of run alongs and she doesn't put in a lot, but once the blinkers are on her she is a different horse."

Florence Jean had also won at Ruakaka on debut in January and she was then an unlucky sixth in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes.

Florence Jean was sent straight to the front at Ruakaka by regular rider Alysha Collett and the filly was coasting at the top of the straight.

"She jumped well and there wasn't a lot of early pressure," she said. "She was too good and had her ears pricked on the line. She's strengthened and she's a little professional."
Florence Jean was out on her own at the post with 6 lengths back to Contessa Vanessa, the winner of her previous two starts.

Fresh up in Tarzino Trophy

Group 1 Thorndon Mile winner Thee Auld Floozie has returned to the Cambridge stable of trainer Stephen Marsh and is being aimed at a first-up crack at the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy on the opening day of the Hawke's Bay spring carnival.

"She'll have one or two trials before that," he said. "She might have two runs at Hastings and she may go to Melbourne after that. There are a number of good options for mares over there."

HB race plans for stayer

Chance To Dance is on a path toward the Group 1 races at Hastings in the spring ahead of a proposed trip to Melbourne.

"He's put on weight and is a pleasure to have around the stables, a true gentleman," said Stephen Autridge, who trains with Jamie Richards.

"We'll be looking at weight-for-age events during the Hawke's Bay carnival, and, providing he's going well, he could end up racing in Australia."

The winner of seven races including a stakes victory in Ireland, Chance To Dance was an autumn purchase for John Galvin's Fortuna Syndications.

Holmes put out

Expatriate New Zealand jockey Patrick Holmes will spend a lengthy period on the side-lines after returning a sample containing an undisclosed banned substance.

"After taking into account Patrick Holmes' personal circumstances and guilty plea, stewards suspended his permit to ride in races for a period of four months. He also has to deliver a sample free of any banned substances before he can resume riding trackwork and trials," stewards said.

Holmes' ban started when he was stood down on June 27 and expires at midnight on October 27. He has ridden 19 winners this season, including a double at Corowa on June 13.