FOR the past year Victorian-based brothers Damien and Boris Thornton have been regular riders at Tasmanian thoroughbred meetings and both have been very successful.
At UBET Park Hobart yesterday their younger sister Stephanie made her riding debut and while she didn’t produce a winner the teenager proved that she has more than enough ability to go on and adequately follow in her brothers’ footsteps.
Stephanie’s first ride was aboard the Scott Brunton-trained Miss It And A Bit and she had the mare perfectly laced on the rails behind the speed and eased her out at the right time turning for home to launch her claim.
The mare knocked up in the last 100m but the young rider ticked all the boxes in terms of technique.
Her next ride was aboard the Tegan Keys-trained Clan McLeod on which she led and allowed the mare to set a solid tempo but she faded over the concluding stages.
With natural improvement and with an alignment to the state’s leading stable it won’t be long before Stephanie notches her first winner.
For the record Damien had bragging rights at the end of the six-race card as he saluted aboard the highly promising three-year-old filly Genuine Art for the Scott Brunton stable.
Last season’s leading apprentice Ismail Toker was the best-performed rider at the meeting snaring a double aboard the Adam Trinder-trained Silver Bolt and Fund Trader.
Last season’s premier jockey David Pires won aboard the Brunton-trained By Order and Kim Moore teamed up with trainer Craig Conron to score an all-the-way win with Able Ken over 2100 metres.