3 minute read

Talented sprinter With Your Blessing headlines John Thompson’s runners at Randwick.

The rain in Sydney this week has been a welcome arrival for trainer John Thompson as he prepares to saddle up a trio of runners at Randwick. 

With Your Blessing, Deniliquin and Auspicious Cloud have won 13 races between them and 11 of those victories have been on wet tracks. 

With Randwick rated in the soft range on Thursday, Thompson is looking towards the weekend with some optimism. 

"Hopefully this rain stays around. I've got three runners on Saturday and they're all wet trackers," Thompson said. 

"They're horses that have been running well on good tracks, but a soft track will help them." 

With Your Blessing drops back to benchmark company in the Precise Air Handicap (1100m) after being beaten less than two lengths behind Recommendation in the Listed Razor Sharp Stakes (1200m). 

Prior to that he was an emphatic winner at Kembla Grange on Gong Day, and while Thompson says the slight distance drop isn't ideal, the horse has continued to please him. 

"He went up to stakes grade and he didn't disgrace himself, he was only beaten a length-and-a-half," Thompson said. 

"He's back in grade and he's back in distance, which I hate doing, but that was the option, and he's looking for rain. 

"He won at Kembla well on the heavy, then on the firm track the other day he was OK, but softer conditions will enhance his chances." 

Auspicious Cloud and Deniliquin go head-to-head in the Kia Ora Prague Handicap (2400m) after finishing second and fifth respectively to First Light last start, the latter again among their rivals on Saturday. 

Deniliquin tackled that race third-up and Thompson expected him to strip significantly fitter. 

"He ran up to do something the other day and just petered on his run, and again, he loves the wet," Thompson said. 

"Auspicious Cloud is the same, she is unbeaten on heavy. I don't think we'll get heavy….but she's a big mare and the riders who have ridden her her last few starts have said softer conditions will help and she gets that on Saturday."