Life is 'pawsome' for Victorian apprentice jockey

The dog days might be over for promising Melbourne apprentice jockey Ben Thompson, but he retains a keen interest whenever his parents have a runner in an elite greyhound race.

Jockey life now takes precedence for Thompson, 20, who used to help his champion greyhound trainer father Jason and mum Seona with their team of greyhounds.

But on Friday night the junior hoop who made a big impression in Victoria last season will be glued to the TV screen.

The Thompsons have won just about everything in greyhound racing, including three Melbourne Cups, but have never won the National Sprint or National Distance final.

That could all change in Brisbane on Friday night when they race National Distance favourite Burn One Down ($2.70) and $3 National Sprint favourite Aston Dee Bee as well as third favourite Bewildering ($5).

The dogs are running in Seona's name and young Thompson has a special reason to be cheering for his mum as the dogs chase the Albion Park bunny in search of big paydays.

"I was too young to have a driver's licence when I started working with horses, so Mum used to drive me around anywhere and everywhere," Thompson says.

"She used to get out of bed and drive me to trackwork for those 4am starts and drive me anywhere I needed to go, right across the state.

"She was always tired and I think it aged her about 10 years.

"Dad even cut down the number of dogs he had, so they could help me with my career.

"I think my parents were looking forward to me turning 18 even more than I was.

"I still live at home with mum and dad and even though horses come first for me these days, there are always greyhounds around at home.

"I still try to help out with them when I can, and I even own a couple of greyhound racing pups."

Even though the Thompson dogs are high in betting markets on Friday night, Ben Thompson says they will need luck from visitor's box draws.

Burn One Down has drawn seven in the National Distance final while Bewildering and Aston Dee Bee will start from boxes seven and eight in the Sprint Final.

"All three of the dogs are going really well but you need luck in any big race and the visitor's draws don't help them," Thompson said.

"But here's hoping one of them can give us our first National Sprint or Distance title."

Thompson, who rode 41 metro winners and 78 in total across Victoria last season, is hoping his light weight can help give him some blue-chip rides during the Spring Carnival.

The jockey who can ride as light as 48kg had the time of his life last November when he rode Rose Of Virginia in the Melbourne Cup.

The horse was beaten 99 lengths and finished with an internal bleed but the then 19-year-old jockey savoured every moment of the race that stops a nation.

And he hopes to get more Group I opportunities this Spring.

"My light weight really opens a lot of doors for me and I'm hoping I can be in the right place at the right time during the Spring Carnival," he says.

"If there is a three-year-old filly looking like being in the Cox Plate, I will be straight on the phone."