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When twenty one year old harness racing driver Sam Thornley began his career in August of 2019 he got off to what could be called an interesting start.
His first race meeting drive was at Addington and it was a thrill for him to achieve a win with Copperhead Rose (Vintage Master). However after the race the stewards spoke to him regarding the manner in which he had used his whip inside the final 400 metres.
After the hearing was adjourned the stewards talked to HRNZ, recommending that Sam’s Junior Horseman’s licence be downgraded to a trials license until he completed further training and education.
This meant he was unable to drive at the races for eight weeks – a bit of a downer after such a super start.
All that is now behind him and at the recently held Banks Peninsula meeting, Thornley reached a milestone when he trained his first winner Dragons Surprise, (Majestic Son) which had formerly been trained by Robbie Holmes.
Sam Thornley comes from a family that’s ingrained in the sport, with lots of threads in the Canterbury region.
His father Robin has held a trainer’s licence since 1975. His first winner was at Marlborough in February 1975 with Golden Miller (Batchelor Hanover).
He’s trained thirty four winners on his own account and a further twenty one with son Chris, Sam’s half-brother. “He (Robin) doesn’t do it full time, he’s always had another job,” Sam said.
Robin’s best winners have been trotter Don’t Rock The Boat (Thanksgiving) which won four, and Awaytocullect (Gotta Go Cullect) the winner of three. Awaytocullect provided Sam’s sister Olivia with her first win at the Banks Peninsula meeting in December 2017.
Sam’s other half-brother Craig Thornley is a successful driver, with seven hundred and twenty four winners under his belt.
“Dad’s been a trainer all his life and I used to go out to Robbie Holmes in the school holidays for five years. Robbie taught me everything I know. He gave me my first drive at the trials, he’s given me drives on race day and now he’s given me a horse to train, and I can’t thank him enough really.”
Thornley was involved with Kidz Kartz for seven years and graduated from the HRNZ Cadet scheme, so he’s had a good grounding in the industry.
“I was pretty lucky because I got a good Kidz Kartz pony called Dimi off the Tomlinsons.”
On leaving school Thornley went to work for Weedons trainer Fred Fletcher and has been there for three years.
“Dad went there a year before me, and he was renting a couple of paddocks off Fred. The horse numbers slowing started to go up, so they needed another worker. When I first went, Fred just wanted to get the Royal Aspirations (his own trotting stallion) going so that’s what we focused on. I think we’ve done a good job so hopefully they can now carry on.”
Thornley is very appreciative of the great support he’s received from the veteran trainer who entrusted the young driver with his best racing stock. Together they’ve showcased the stock of Royal Aspirations brilliantly.
“They’re all lovely horses that just trot. I’ve won eight races on Royal Del and he’s only a five year old.”
Of Thornley’s twenty eight trotting wins twenty one has been with the stock of Royal Aspirations, all trainer by Fletcher: Royal Del (8), Royal Pride (4), The Royal Gamble (3), Paris Prince (3) and Sunny Louis (3).
Bruce Negus has provided nine winners, Michael House six and Sam’s father Robin four.
“Bruce is probably one of my biggest supporters. He’s a good person. Even when you stuff up he accepts it and moves on.”
Driving the Fletcher trained Mikey Maguire (Mach Three) has also brought success for Thornley. Between June and August 2022, the aged gelding won four of his six starts with Thornley on board each time.
He’s driven in two Group One races with I Dream of Jeannie (Pegasus Spur) in the New Zealand Trotting Championship, and Sunny Louis (Royal Aspirations) in the New Zealand Trotting Derby.
Thornley has slowly climbed up the Junior Drivers Championship rankings. He was 22nd with three wins in the 2020, 11th with fourteen wins in 2021 and 4th with thirty four wins in the 2022 premiership.
Another highlight was to finish second in the Australasian Young Drivers Championships in Victoria.
“I lead for the whole series until the last race when I ran second. The only person that could beat me won the race driving an outsider.”
He’d like to concentrate more on training these days and is already on the board with Dragon’s Sunrise.
“It was a huge thrill. I gave my mates a share in her, and I didn’t expect the win at all. But the game is full of surprises. Stephen McNally has helped me a lot with her shoeing. I like the trotters because they’re always a challenge and you’re always trying to do little things to improve them.”
Due to Thornley’s change in focus there’s going to be a move from the Fletcher barn to Ken Barron’s stable.
“I learnt a lot from Fred. He’s been bloody good to me, and I can’t thank him enough. But I thought it was time to move on and get a bit of help with my training and driving. I’d like to get to 100 wins and focus more on the training.”
Thornley says Barron is working twenty five horses with most of them racehorses, so there should be plenty of opportunities.
“Ken’s got such good facilities, so I just want to learn how to get the best out of each horse.”
Ken Barron has driven over one thousand winners and trained in his own right, close to five hundred winners.
Thornley will have every chance to continue on his upward trajectory, and despite his rocky start he’s well and truly on his way.
by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink
