You saw Glen Boss do it several times on Makybe Diva's back and it was no surprise Luke Nolan managed it more than once on the remarkable Black Caviar.
However, for a veteran jumps jockey to do it on a rising 11-year-old jumper who had just scraped home by a nose on a heavy (11) track is something you won't see every day.
It somehow made it even more special, particularly when you consider Thornton has achieved just about every pinnacle of success in the jumps game.
This was no rookie basking in the glory of one of his first major victories.
In 2002, Thornton won the world's richest jumps race, the Nakayama Grand Jump on the John Wheeler-trained St Steven, replacing injured stable jockey Brett Scott, who got his rewards when he won the race in 2005, 06 and 07 on Melbourne jumper Karasi.
For years, Thornton had been the leading amateur jumps rider in North America.
He was practically peerless in New Zealand before retiring, coming back from several years out of the saddle last year.
Thornton was moved by this victory. Particularly the way Indikator came back from the dead when headed by Aintree inside the 200m. The horse's fighting heart is truly remarkable.
"The ground was very heavy for him and he dipped over the last fence. I thought we were beaten," said Thornton, shaking his head in disbelief.
To add to a great day for Thornton, one of the team he trains, Guru Girl, won the first race at Ruakaka on Saturday, coming from last on the home bend to just snatch victory.
Halfway through the Ruakaka programme, Thornton's former wife Trudy came back from 10 weeks on the sideline caused by a hip injury to win on the Ben Foote-trained Illuminati.
Donna and Dean Logan may not have enjoyed the success they looked for in Queensland with 3-year-old filly Telepathic, but they had their best day yet on their Ruakaka home turf on Saturday.
Six of the 10 races is extremely difficult to achieve, even with the large team the Logans produced.
"Three probably wouldn't have surprised me, but six certainly does," said a delighted Dean Logan on Saturday.
"As I said in this morning's Herald, I thought the maideners Rocknrolla and Thornbird Lass should have already won races by now and I thought they were among our best chances, along with To Be Sure."
Rocknrolla and To Be Sure won and Thornbird Lass stumbled badly when she clipped heels mid-race.
Candle In The Wind, King Zeus, Uncle Shayne and Big Voices comprised the six victories.
Donna Logan deflected any of the credit for the half dozen victories away from herself.
"I've been in Queensland with Telepathic and Dean and the staff have done the hard yards back home here. They deserve all the credit."
The wins included all four legs of the Quaddie.
Barbaric deserves to win a decent race and probably will.
Trainer Stephen Marsh's fears the tight Ruakaka circuit might play against the sprinter's troublesome off-side front foot proved unfounded.
Barbaric railed like a greyhound and scored perhaps the most comfortable victory all day, even though not by the widest margin.
He was the most athletic horse at Ruakaka on Saturday and when he opens up that gorgeous stride of his it's poetry in motion.
