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By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Thompson has the fingers crossed that champion jockey James McDonald can pick up where he left off from last week and work some magic on consistent mare Kingston Charm at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer John Thompson (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Sydney’s premier rider won five of the 10 races at Rosehill last weekend including the final three and Thompson is more than happy to have him in his corner in the Midway Handicap (1600m) on a mare who hasn’t been winning out of turn.

Thompson said securing McDonald for the ride offsets the wide barrier for Kingston Charm, $5.50 in a wide TAB market on Thursday.

“The way he rode last Saturday, yes it does. Hopefully he’s still in form,’’ Thompson said.

“But it’s JMac, when he rings up to ride one you let him ride it don’t you.”

Kingston Charm is on her 12th run for the preparation, though it was split with a month between runs to skip the bulk of the spring carnival, and two weeks ago she was narrowly denied her first win since she took out the Four Pillars in late 2024.

The Randwick trainer said there was little else Braith Nock could have done to get her across the line on that occasion, as Promitto just held her out.

“If anybody else was on the winner last start except Nash Rawiller she runs it down,’’ he said.

“But he just squeezed everything out of his horse and beat me by a head.

“She has been up for a long time but in saying that she has had a freshen up a few times, she’s been out for a week or two on two or three occasions.

“She’s still in good order and she’s got the foot on the till.”

Three of the 16 acceptors in the Midway hail from the Thompson barn and while he says Impunity will need a bit more racing and more ground he’s confident Starphistocated will be a big improver on her first-up unplaced run.

He has his sights set on a race like the Group 3 Epona Stakes (1900m) on Golden Slipper Day for the lightly raced mare.

Starphistocated was solid in the market when she resumed finishing midfield at Kensington a few weeks ago and Thompson said she’ll be fitter for it and would like to see a touch more patient ride.

“For mine he just rode her a little bit close then she just got tired being 1400m first-up,’’ he said.

“She just needs to be ridden a fraction quieter to hit the line and she will. I think she’s a great chance.”

Everything about Screen Icon’s build up to the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) had Thompson confident the filly could be in the finish of the Randwick feature – until he saw the barrier draw.

With a bit of time to dust himself off, Thompson said it’s not an impossible task to jump from one from the outside and get the job done but he concedes a decent chunk of luck will be required.

Screen Icon was beaten in a close photo, after racing three wide, on debut in the Gimcrack Stakes back in the spring.

“It’s a straight run to the corner so you can be a little bit deep,’’ he said.

“It was deflating when the draw came out because she’s been going so well. She’s on the up, her second trial was a nice improvement from the first and she’s improved off the back again as my horses do.

“She will run well but it’s a matter of what Chad (Schofield) can conjure up from the draw.”

Kingston Charm runs second at Randwick on January 24

John Thompson on Nomadic (race 3): “He’s a lovely colt with a bright future, whether it’s first-up over 1000m I don’t know but he’s been trialling very good. One for the black book.”

On Bundeena (race 5): “We drew the outside gate last time and Nash just had to go back a pair further than ideal but he’s run well and he will run well again.”

On Hellbent On You (race 6): “She ran super first-up, maybe that took the edge off her a little bit. She was disappointing the other day though it was a very on pace day and race but I thought she should have run better.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Randwick