Thompson Celebrates First Group One Win
- Saturday, 20 March 2010 08:15
John Thompson has celebrated his first Group One win since being appointed head trainer for Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm with Small Minds winning the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.
For good measure, stablemate No Evidence Needed ran second in the Adelaide feature with Thompson watching on from Rosehill.
The win in the Oaks (2006m) was also a first at the elite level for young Victorian jockey Dean Holland.
The fillies were in the care of Thompson's brother Glenn who predicted the result earlier this week.
"It's been a good team effort," Thompson said.
"My brother Glenn rang me and said he thought we would run the quinella.
"We thought they would go well, that's why they were there.
"It was a great effort seeing she (Small Minds) was three-wide all the way."
Small Minds was sent out at $26 despite her win at $61 in the Adelaide Guineas (1600m) last Monday week.
No Evidence Needed ($7) was a neck behind her stablemate while Ipioga ($9) was another half-neck away third.
Favourite Speedy Natalie ($4) failed to finish the race.
Melbourne filly Rostova, the one time favourite for last year's Blue Diamond Stakes and Golden Slipper, gained an overdue Group One win in the Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) when she beat Velocitea and Sister Madly.
Trained by Steve Richards, Rostova was ridden by Steven King who has been aboard in all her 14 starts.
Rostova was sent out at $21 and had three-quarters of a length on $4.40 equal favourite Velocitea with Sister Madly ($8) another long neck away.
The other equal favourite Headway finished 14th of the 18 runners.
