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It’s business as usual today for Robert Thompson, a day after he rode into the history books as the first Australian jockey to win 4000 races.

Thompson will head to the country meeting at Mudgee for three rides after he reached the milestone on Saturday at Newcastle’s Broadmeadow, one of his favourite courses where he has ridden almost a quarter of his record tally of winners.

The 55-year-old produced a typical cool ride to win an 1850m event on the Pam Webber-trained Lay Down The Law, tracking the leaders and driving his mount through a gap in the straight to win by a clear margin.

Thompson was doused in champagne by jockeys and friends to celebrate his achievement. He then broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his late father Arthur Thompson, who died last year.

‘‘Unfortunately he is not here, I wish he was. It has been nearly 12 months since he passed away and he has been with me all the way,” Thompson said.

‘‘He would be very proud.’’

Thompson has lived at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley not far from Newcastle all his life. In his early career he resisted many attempts by leading stables to lure him to the city.

‘‘Everyone knows I come from Cessnock but Newcastle is in my backyard,’’ he said of the track where he rode his personal best six winners in one day in 1990.

‘‘It has been a wonderful place to ride and I am very proud to be able to ride my 4000th winner at Newcastle.’’

Thompson rode his first winner at Wyong in 1973 when he was only 14, having gained a special school exemption to begin an apprenticeship with his late grandfather Norm Collins.

He set the Australian record for most wins when he passed the late Jack Thompson's tally of 3322 at Port Macquarie in 2008.

Thompson has ridden the bulk of his winners on provincial and country tracks around Australia but he boasts seven G1 wins among more than 100 black type victories on noted gallopers such as Romantic Dream, Sharscay, Just A Steal, I Like Diamonds and Heavenly Glow.

He has always regarded My Star Sapphire, a Grafton Cup winner trained by his father, as his favourite horse but also has a soft spot for feature race winners such as Precise Timing, Youthful Jack, The Jackal, Zabarra, Majestically, Nanny Maroon, Star Of Octagonal and Southern Shimmer.

His most successful associations over the last 12 years have been with So The Cat Said and Buckmore, winning 10 races on each horse.

A feature of Thompson’s career has been the long and successful associations he has enjoyed with leading city and country trainers including Jack and Allan Denham, Ross Stitt, Guy Walter, Rodney Northam, Neil Godbolt, Todd Howlett, Robert Davies, Jeremy Sylvester, Max and Kris Lees, Alan Scorse, Mark Mason and Paul St Vincent.

He rode 49 winners during a two season stint in Hong Kong and has ridden in invitation events in many other overseas countries. He was also sidelined for almost two years after suffering a broken ankle in 2004.

The other tracks where Thompson has ridden the bulk of his winners are Taree, Port Macquarie, Muswellbrook, Tamworth, Scone and Cessnock.