Blinkers a Blessing for John Thompson’s charge

John Thompson’s decision to put blinkers on With Your Blessing has proven a masterstroke with the horse breaking a year-long drought from the winner’s stall at Kembla Grange.

After taking on board the feedback from jockey Josh Parr following the gelding’s last start third at Rosehill, Thompson opted to make the change for Saturday’s Evergreen Turf Australia Handicap (1200m) and it produced a significant turnaround.

Jumping smartly, With Your Blessing ($3.80 fav) made the running for Parr then extended his advantage in the straight to score a soft 4-1/4 lengths victory over Plundering ($4.40) with Contemporary ($4.80) another half-neck away third.

“It really did the trick,” Thompson said of the blinkers.

“Josh got off the other day and he said, ‘I think he’s having a little bit of a think about it,’ so we put the blinkers on.”

Thompson said it wasn’t the plan to lead on With Your Blessing but when he began so well, Parr took the initiative on a track that had been favouring on-speed horses.

“We watched the first two races and it seems to be the go (leading), but it wasn’t the plan,” Thompson said.

“We just said, ‘come out positive and you work it out’ and when he began like that, he (Parr) went with it.

“We were confident a long way from home.”

While Thompson was celebrating after With Your Blessing’s breakthrough, the horse’s first win since December last year, the news wasn’t as good for stablemate Jojo Was A Man this week.

Nominated for The Gong (1600m), the Ladies Day Cup runner-up wasn’t among the acceptors after succumbing to a foot issue that has ended his campaign.

“He just pulled up a bit sore, so we thought, we’re not going to risk it, and we spelled him,” Thompson said.

“It’s a shame because he was flying. We were going to go Gong, Ingham, that was the plan. But that’s the year I’m having.”