Robert Thompson is giving rival jockeys something to chase after riding three winners at Port Macquarie on Tuesday, and one at the twilight meeting, in Launceston, on Wednesday evening, taking his all time total to 3,841 winners, an all time Australian record that could be increased with seven rides on an eight race card at Scone today.

He rode his first winner at Wyong in 1973, two months short of his fifteenth birthday, now 54 there is no sign of early retirement at this stage.

During his long career there have been a few ups and downs, at one stage he spent 12 months out of the saddle due to a severe injury.

Thompson is one of those great characters of racing, particularly up and down the coast of New South Wales and the Hunter Valley where he resides at Cessnock.

Ironically the late Jack Thompson, (no relation) known as “The Professor”, previously held the record of 3,322 winning rides, spanning 47 years, he rode his last winner aged 62.

He was the first apprentice jockey to ride 100 winners, or more, in a single season in 1940-41, he rode 106 winners and a dead heat, winning five premierships.

Born at Macksville, on the north coast of New South Wales, he came down to be apprenticed to Frank Dalton at Randwick.

Daniel Clarken has made the correct, and proper decision, to retain jockey Lauren Stojakovic as the rider of Miracles Of Life in the Blue Diamond Preview, at Caulfield tomorrow.

She has done all the hard yards, riding track work and winning on the filly, she is entitled to the ride.

There is an old adage that has stood the test of time, never interfere with a winning combination.

It is time to pull a jockey off when they are getting beaten, but not when they are winning.

Stephen Baster has been given the short back and sides treatment by the Singapore Racing Authorities, on a one page, one line letter, with the notation, Licence Withdrawn.

Surely he is entitled to be given some explanation as to the reason his licence has been revoked.

Even the steward who handed the letter to the jockey was not aware of its contents.

Jockeys, in future, may not be in a hurry to head over in that direction if that is the way they are treated.

Racing at Hanging Rock needs little introduction, it is high on the list of the popular racing venues in Australia.

Australia Day, tomorrow, is Cup day at the Rock, an occasion to go racing, experienced over the years by so many.

Originally the Cup was run on News Years Day, and the major race on Australia Day, the Sir Errol Knox Handicap.

The Club experimented with a third meeting in March which didn’t work, while years earlier there was even a date on Easter Monday, it proved too late in the year.

Hanging Rock works well with two meetings a year, call it unique if you wish, as it does have a certain charm.

Over the years it has attracted several of our leading trainers, John Meagher and the late Angus Armanasco, Geoff Murphy and Jim Houlahan