Apprentice jockey Adin Thompson will have no excuses if he doesn’t know the quirks of promising two-year-old Criminal Defence.
Criminal Defence turned in a solid performance when finishing midfield in an unsuitable 1000m race in his first start on the Sunshine Coast.
The gelding might be rated a $61 chance on Thursday but he is expected to be in the finish when stepping up to 1200m in the Welcome Back To BRC 2Y0 Handicap (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Criminal Defence is trained by the Peter and Will Hulbert partnership, who are also Thompson’s masters.
Peter Hulbert said Thompson had played a key role in getting Criminal Defence to the races.
“It isn’t well known but Adin is a very good horse breaker. He broke in Criminal Defence, rides him in all of his work and looks after him around the stables so he knows him well,” Hulbert said.
“A couple of Adin’s mates race the horse and Adin has a good rap on Criminal Defence.”
Hulbert thought Criminal Defence would probably be better as a three-year old over longer trips.
“But he is showing something as a late two-year-old and he isn’t far off our good two-year-old filly Mistress of Doom,” he said.
“At the Sunshine Coast he was standing in the barriers for a long time before they jumped.
“He was slow out and got run off his feet but he was among the few horses on the day to make up a lot of ground.
“The 1200m on Saturday should suit him a lot better,” Hulbert said.
Meanwhile, it has been a breakthrough year for Thompson who is 10th on the senior jockeys premiership with 26 winners in his first seven months riding in the city.
