Ben Thompson: How I can be King Of The Mountain with Rothfire from widest draw
Ben Thompson is looking for back-to-back crowns in the $750,000 King Of The Mountain and says he is not daunted by copping the widest barrier aboard hotpot Rothfire.
Ben Thompson was hoping for a wide draw aboard King Of The Mountain hotpot Rothfire and got more than he bargained for when dealt the widest barrier, but says he’d take it over an inside draw.
With interstate jockeys banned from the race, trainer Rob Heathcote has again entrusted Thompson with the ride aboard the Group 1 star after running second to Zoustyle in the Group 3 George Moore Stakes a month ago and he will look to go back-to-back in the $750,000 feature after winning aboard Yellow Brick a year ago.
Thompson says he wanted an outside draw and is growing in confidence after he won the race from barrier 10 last year.
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As a $1.65 favourite with a clear ratings edge on his rivals, Thompson wants to stay out of trouble and let Rothfire do his thing.
“I was hoping to draw wide so you could say I somewhat got what I asked for,” he said.
“He enjoys space and the thing with this barrier is we can just be in charge of our own destiny from there.
“He has reached the highest level in the races he has been in.
“Yellow Brick won the race from barrier 10 last year and we’ll jump from 12 on Monday, we will just try and make our own luck, I have a heap of confidence in him.”
Rothfire ran second to star sprinter Imperatriz in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley in the spring and Heathcote has long had the Toowoomba slot race in his sights.
Thompson says it is a matter of getting Rothfire into a position he is happy with, in what is set to be a fiercely run race with local speedster Steady Ready drawing inside.
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Having piloted nearest rival All That Pizzazz to victory in the Listed Bribie Handicap three weeks ago, Thompson has an intimate knowledge of his opposition.
“It’s a matter of just getting him where he is happy, he is heading there fresh, a month between runs and he had a really good trial last Tuesday,” Thompson said.
“His demeanour and work since has been brilliant, he will position up somewhere near them, which is his pattern and we will take it from there.
“Put it this way, I’d rather be out there than inside in one.
“Being able to make our own luck out there is a positive rather than being in the ruck inside them.”
Originally published as Ben Thompson: How I can be King Of The Mountain with Rothfire from widest draw
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