TOP Australian jockey Stephanie Thornton has announced she is taking an indefinite break from racing – to become a mum.
The newly-married rider says she may never return to the track with her first-born child due in September.
Thornton has won more than £8million in racing but is taking an indefinite break to become a mum
A top rider with model looks, Steph says she will miss the day job as she becomes a mother for the first time
Steph, who has won more than £8.3m from 347 career winners, tied the knot with fellow jockey Ben Thompson last May.
The delighted couple are now preparing for parenthood, with Group 1-winning Ben to remain in the saddle while Steph raises their little one.
Steph announced the news on Instagram. The couple posed with their five pets and wrote: “And soon there’ll be six… Baby Thompson arriving September 2023.”
Her final ride came last Saturday on a horse trained by her dad Glenn.
Explaining her decision, Steph said: “This is going to be a huge change for me, I’m going to go from doing what I love which is riding horses nearly seven days a week – that can’t happen now.
“As of now, I am finished with riding.
“But the door is still very much open for me in racing at some stage in the future.
“I’m not making any decisions now, I don’t think I’m going to know how I feel about riding again until after I have the baby.
“I’m always cheering for Ben when he rides, but even more so now.
“I will be content supporting Ben when he rides and we are now creating a family of our own.
“We are looking forward to the next chapter.”
The couple have decided to keep the baby’s sex a surprise – but will have family in Queensland on hand to help them with babysitting and everything else.
Steph added: “In terms of the next stage of my life, I am very lucky to have my brothers Boris and Damien and my parents up here.
“We are very close with them, as we are with Ben’s family albeit they are in Melbourne.
“We know that this next chapter is going to be a team effort, we won’t be doing it alone.”
