Phillip Stokes, Ben Thompson and a horse named Good Idea returned to Morphettville to complete some unfinished business and their plan came together when they all came away as the winners of the 2021, Group 2 Adelaide Cup.
Good Idea had finished second in the 2020 edition of the Cup when going down to King Of Leogrance, but the intention to set the record straight was put in place immediately after last year’s Cup.
“I rode this horse in the Cup last year when he ran second to King Of Leogrance,” said Thompson. “He went super and obviously handled the trip.
“As soon as I got off the horse Phillip (Stokes) said we’ll come back next year and go one better. He was spot on and I have to thank Phillip Stokes, Tom Stokes and the team for giving me the opportunity to come back and ride him again,” said Thompson who could not have been happier about keeping the date open and making the trip from Brisbane to reunite with the So You Think gelding.
‘It is great to repay Phillip and Tom. They were my biggest supporters in Victoria before I made the move to Brisbane and it is good to repay them with a nice winner.
“I saw the horse was back trialling late last year. I keep in touch with Philip and I always have a great interest in his team.
“He kept me up to date and after his first-up run he said ‘make sure you are right to go on the second Monday in March’.
“He has been leading up to this in his last few starts. He might have been a bit plain to the eye last start, but he is a very quirky horse.
“He has got a big motor. It is just a matter of not knowing which horse is going to turn up. Just knowing what the horse is like … I have ridden him quite a lot in the morning in trackwork … he could come out a winner or he could run last.
“Coming to Adelaide at least … this is his third run here and his second win and he has one second from the three runs … and, thankfully, he came out a winner here and bolted in.
“He was little bit aggressive early. I saw Starcaster pulling outside me and I thought … beautiful … I’ve got a horse that can take me a long way here in Starcaster.
“I was confident when I decided to stride up to tackle Starcaster.
“It just depended on what was going to come from behind me.
“I was also confident moving up last year and Damian Lane came cruising past me … so I didn’t get too confident but, when I had a look over at the screen I could see he was home.”
