Thompson sees starring role for Screen Icon after luckless early runs

Craig KerryAugust 20, 2026 — 5:00pmRandwick trainer John Thompson is adamant Screen Icon will win a stakes race, with a change of luck, and he hopes it comes on Saturday at home in the Silver Shadow Stakes.The Nicconi filly, an $80,000 yearling, was winless through her four runs as a two-year-old in an eye-catching but ultimately frustrating campaign.Screen Icon storms home to finish a close second to Shiki, left, in the Gimcrack Stakes on October 4 last year at Randwick.Getty ImagesScreen Icon surged to go down in a photo to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Shiki on debut in the Gimcrack Stakes. She returned in the Inglis Millennium when wide throughout from a poor draw to finish two and a half lengths seventh before coming from last to be a short neck away in second in the Sweet Embrace Stakes.The results left Screen Icon as fourth emergency for the $5 million Golden Slipper before she had a final run in the Percy Sykes Stakes. Thompson said she had improved in her time off and was ready to perform first-up in the group 2 Silver Shadow (1200m), the opening leg of the Princess Series for three-year-old fillies.“I made the mistake of running her one too many,” Thompson said of last season.“We missed a run in the Slipper, and the owners were sort of all down, and she was really well. But then I had to keep her a couple of weeks for the Percy Sykes, and I knew a couple of days out, I’m in trouble, she’s gone off.“But she’s still ran sixth and she’s come back better now.“I reckon she was a certainly beaten in the Gimcrack. Chad [Schofield] just sat too long and Gai’s skipped away, and she still ran her to a nose.“She’ll win a stakes race. When, I don’t know, but hopefully early.”Screen Icon was a $15 for the Silver Shadow from gate nine of 11.“I was talking to Chad this morning and he was confident it would work out all right,” Thompson said.“All the speed is drawn out wide. I’ll leave it up to him, but the filly is going really good, that’s the main thing. She’ll be running well.”Thompson also had last-start winners Melanite and Clear Proof in the 1200m benchmark 72 Midway Handicap to start the day, but he said the former would be scratched because of a wide draw and kept for Wednesday’s Canterbury meeting. He said Clear Proof ($6.50), coming off a 1250m benchmark 72 win at Canterbury, was “going super”.Thompson was more excited about the prospects of colt Nomadic, a half-brother to star mare Sheza Alibi, which will trial on Friday and return at Warwick Farm on September 2.“He raced at two and showed a bit, but he just wasn’t there, but he’s matured a bit more,” he said.“I still think he’ll probably be better in the autumn, but he’s a sneaky chance for a nice race now.“We’ll just try and get a maiden out of the way, then I think we’re aiming third up to be Dulcify, Gloaming and Spring Champion.”From our partners