Some honest truths from his master Peter Hulbert and senior steward John Hackett have been a boost to Brisbane apprentice Adin Thompson.
He will represent Queensland in the National Apprentices Challenge Series at Ascot in Perth on Wednesday.
Thompson was the leading apprentice in Queensland for two seasons with more than 100 winners in country areas.
But he struggled in the first part of this season when he started riding regularly in the metropolitan area.
Hulbert, who trains in partnership with his son Will, was worried Thompson was going to waste his chance.
“He was getting suspended often and kept losing any momentum,” Hulbert said.
“So I asked John (Hackett) and another steward to sit down with us and have an honest talk.
“Basically we told him to clean up his act in races or his career would be in the bush for the rest of his life.
“To his credit he listened and things are taking off for him.”
Hulbert said he always had the highest regard for Thompson as a person and he just needed to use common sense in his riding.
“As I tell him if he stays out of the stewards room he can have a wonderful career,” Hulbert said.
After that talk, Thompson rode his first metropolitan winner on January 18.
In the two months since, he now has 18 metropolitan winners and is riding for many of the top stables.
The Apprentices Challenge is for young jockeys from all Australian states except NSW with New Zealand and Singapore riders in the mix.
Thompson will sport the Bob and Sandra Peters’ colours in Wednesday’s race aboard the Grant and Alana Williams-trained Picture Perfect.
