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Australia’s winningest jockey Robert Thompson has been working hard to clinch his first Hawkesbury win in six years at Saturday’s rich stand-alone meeting.

Thompson, his tally of race wins currently standing at a remarkable Australian record of 4340, has five mounts including two for Newcastle trainer David Atkins in the $200,000 Livamol Hawkesbury Gold Cup (Plaisir) and $200,000 Blacktown Workers Group Hawkesbury Guineas (Fuchu).

Thompson has been sweating to ride the talented but enigmatic Plaisir, the recent Provincial Championships Final placegetter, as close as possible to his allotted 53kg minimum.

Thompson’s riding weight is normally 55kg, but he has been given permission to ride Plaisir 1kg overweight.

“I can ride him at 54kg, but I’ll try and get a bit below that if I can,” Thompson said. “I’ll have to work a bit harder around the house to see what I can get down to.”

Thompson’s last winner at Hawkesbury also was at the annual stand-alone fixture in 2012 in another feature 1600m event when he won the Rowley Mile on Star Of Octagonal. The Rowley Mile is now run on another date.

Cessnock-based Thompson has had only 16 rides at Hawkesbury since that win for four placings including a strong-finishing second on Plaisir in Hawkesbury’s Provincial Championships Qualifier (1400m) last month.

Thompson and Plaisir’s trainer Atkins go back a long way. They teamed to land the 1986 Moonee Valley Gold Cup with Reckless Tradition. Thomposn also rode the same horse when a courageous seventh in At Talaq’s 1986 Melbourne Cup.

Thompson has ridden Plaisir six times for two wins and four placings including his brilliant finish from last to grab third placing behind Serene Miss and Newsfan in the $500,000 Provincial Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 14.

“He is a big, strong horse but is hopeless early and you just have to go with him,” Thompson said.

“He does everything in slow motion until he decides to get going, and he can certainly finish.

“The long straight at Hawkesbury will suit him as he showed last month.”

Thompson has never ridden stablemate Fuchu, a three-year-old who has raced only three times for a Newcastle maiden (1400m) success last November and two placings.

Thompson also partners Le Cordon Bleu in the $125,000 XXXX Gold Rush (1100m) and Sharpness in the $175,000 Godolphin Crown (1300m).