Thompson Tackles Two States With Stable Stars

Kneeling

Kneeling will run in the Thousand Guineas Prelude

John Thompson will continue his spring dominance with an army of horses running in both Sydney and Melbourne this weekend.

Possibly his most high profile starter, Kneeling, will run in the 1,400 metre Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield.

The three-year-old filly has come on well since her first-up win in the Listed Crockett Stakes last month.

“We elected against going to Flemington and taking on Sepoy and we just gave her a barrier trial at Cranbourne, which she came through really good, just to fill in the gap and she’s trained on well since,” Thompson said.

“She’s drawn a bit awkward (14) but she’ll still run well.”

Kneeling will be ridden in the Guineas Prelude by apprentice jockey James McDonald.

“She always begins well and puts herself there so we’ll be positive out and leave it up to James to make up his mind where he ends up,” Thompson said.

The trainer is unconcerned about sending her out to compete over 1,400 metres for the first time in her short career.

“She’s always given an indication that she’ll get up to a mile,” he said.

Thompson will also run Web Of Love over 1,400 metres at Caulfield in The Fashion Capital Plate.

Web Of Love finished ninth last run after missing the start of the race.

“She’s come on well, I probably made the mistake there of racing her over too short a distance, she just chased the whole way,” Thompson said.

“That run under her belt has done her good and moving up in distance she should improve a bit.

“I’d always like to see her up the from but she’s always been a bit of a barrier problem, but if she jumps well we’ll be as close as possible.”

In Sydney, Thompson will line up five-year-old Gathering in the Group 1 George Main Stakes.

The trainer is hopeful the Tale Of The Cat gelding will be able to go forward in the running of the $350,000 race.

“I think he goes a lot better when he rolls along a bit at his own pace,” he said.

“He’s got a high cruising speed and being held up behind leaders just doesn’t suit him.

“He’s come on again since (his last start) so he’ll definitely go forward there and make his own luck and her should improve a bit again.

“It’s a hard race but he’ll be up there and in it for a long way.”

Trusting will also run in the Group 2 Hill Stakes at Rosehill after his impressive win in the Chelmsford Stakes at Warwick Farm last start.

“He’s ready for it for sure,” Thompson said.

“It’s not a big field which should suit.

“He’s drawn outside which probably should suit him.

“He’s behaving himself and he seems happy and content.

“On his work he seems to have come on since his win.”

Another stable star, Pane In The Glass, will continue her spring in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes for three-year-old fillies.

Pane In The Glass finished fourth behind Streama in the slowly run Furious Stakes two weeks ago.

“(She was) a bit unlucky there last start in that last race, if you could call it a race, it was a bit of a debacle,” Thompson said.

The trainer believes she has recovered well from the run and will be primed to take out this Saturday’s race.

“She seems to have improved a bit in her work,” he said.

“She’s pretty much cherry ripe for Saturday.”

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