ANZ Bloodstock News Insider - Jamie Richards

The very popular www.anzbloodstocknews.com this week featured and "Stable Insider" profile on Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards ... published here with their consent ...

Stable Insider

Jamie Richards, Te Akau Racing

Where: Matamata, NZ

Started training: 2015

Finest hour: Avantage winning the Karaka Million (RL, 1200m) on what is a big showcase night for our industry

Number of horses in training: 100 approximately

Key assistants: Paul Richards, Daniel Miller, Mason Stevens, Scott Lucock and Sally Gillespie

Jockeys: Opie Bosson, Shafiq Rusof

Website: teakauracing.com

Jamie Richards has enjoyed a stellar three seasons as co-trainer with Stephen Autridge at Te Akau Racing but August 1 heralds a new era for the highly respected young horseman as he takes sole charge of David Ellis' Matamata-based operation. Having already trained 38 stakes' winners, Richards has an enviable batch of horses under his care heading into the new season.

Rising two-year-olds

Te Akau Racing has about 52 rising two-year-olds on its books this year including a number of high-priced yearlings who are already making impressing during their early education.

“We are very pleased with how they are coming to hand and a few of them will be ready to trial in August,” he said.

“We like to trial them when there is a bit of give in the ground, then we give them a little bit of a freshen before they are ready to race in October and November.”

Richards earmarked Melody Belle's (Commands) half-sister by Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) as an early eye catcher. Named Exaltation, the rising two-year-old was purchased by Ellis for NZ$900,000 at this year's New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.

“The Meleka Belle filly by Not A Single Doubt looks really good. Dave also bought a really nice Fastnet Rock filly at Easter and she looks quite exciting,” he said.

“We also have an Exceed And Excel colt there and a Snitzel colt out of Floria as well as the Katie Lee colt, so we have got to be happy with how they are progressing at this stage.”

The Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) colt has been named Laureate and was purchased from the Karaka sale for NZ$625,000.

The top-priced yearling sold at Karaka in 2018, who was purchased for NZ$1,025,000 by Ellis, has been named Lethal. The Savabeel (Zabeel) colt is out of Sir Patrick Hogan's champion filly Katie Lee (Pins).

Rising three-year-olds

Star Quality: Avantage

2 f Fastnet Rock - Asavant

Owner: Te Akau Racing syndicates

Form: 111121

OR: 85

Avantage was a dominant two-year-old for Richards, winning the Karaka Million (RL, 1200m) before contesting two Group 1 races. She finished runner-up in the Sistema Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) before going one better in the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) on March 31. “She has come through the winter in good order. She had a good spell after Awapuni and she'll be ready to trial in the second half of August with the 1,000 Guineas at Riccarton her main aim,” Richards said. “She is not an overly big filly, but she has strengthened up, got a bit wider and she is out of a Zabeel mare, so has got the pedigree to get over a bit further and we are pleased with how she is coming up.”

Sword Of Osman

2 g Savabeel - Bunyah

Owner: Te Akau Racing syndicates

Form: 18117

OR: 83

Sword Of Osman made an immediate impression when winning on debut last December and was tested in stakes company at his subsequent four starts, including a Group 3 win which was an all-important victory in the Sistema Stakes. “He too spelled well and has come back in good order. He will be ready to trial in the first week of August,” he said. “The Te Akau model is to kick off most of our horses at the Te Teko trials and he will trial a couple of times. We will then pick out a suitable race to kick off, with the 2,000 Guineas being his main aim.”

Al Hasa

2 c Exceed And Excel - Oasis Rose

Owner: Te Akau Racing syndicates

Form: 2142

OR: 75

Al Hasa (Exceed And Excel) always had a wrap on him from early in the season and was able to win the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) in November before finishing runner-up in the Karaka Million two starts later. He has not raced since. “He had just a little bit of a change going on, so he has had a good long break. He is back now doing a little bit of light work, but we probably won't see him until after Christmas,” Richards said. “We will probably keep him sharp initially, then if he looks like he wants a bit further, then we can stretch him. I think he will tell us what he wants to do once we get him back to trials.”

Dark Horse: In A Twinkling

2 g Fastnet Rock - Moment In Time

Owner: Te Akau Racing syndicates

Form: 2

OR: 52

Richards has labelled In A Twinkling as a horse to watch in the new season, with the gelding finishing runner-up in a maiden in February at his only start. “He had one start for a second as a two-year-old and he is by Fastnet Rock. He has come back in good order and we are excited about him,” he said.

Older horses

Melody Belle

3 f Commands - Meleka Belle

Owner: Fortuna Syndicates (Mgr John Galvin)

Form: 1381110-36159

OR: 88

Melody Belle is a quality rising four-year-old who has already won on both sides of the Tasman and showed she was in for a good campaign with a barrier trial win this week. “She trialled well on Tuesday and she'll trial again at the Te Teko trials, then we will probably kick her off in the Foxbridge Plate on August 11 and then we will probably head to Hastings for the first leg there,” he said.

Embellish  

3 c Savabeel - Bling

Owner: Te Akau and Brendan and Jo Lindsay

Form: 2-1114268

OR: 89

Group 1-winning colt Embellish's post-racing career is already assured, with the rising four-year-old to stand at Cambridge Stud in 2019, but Richards plans to place the son of Savabeel to advantage in a bid to enhance his value as a stallion when he does resume in the new season. “He is coming up well, but he is just a little bit behind the other ones. We gave him a good spell after the Australian Guineas. He is coming to hand quietly and he probably won't be ready to trial until September,” he said. “We have just to pick and choose what races we go to with him. He looks to me that he will be able to stretch out over a little bit further.”

Age Of Fire

Owner: Te Akau and Brendan and Jo Lindsay

Form: 213211300

OR: 88

Age Of Fire is another Group 1-winning colt set to be retired to Cambridge Stud in 2019 and Richards believes the rising four-year-old will be best served by being restricted to races up to 1600 metres this campaign. He was unplaced at his most recent start in the Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m). “He will have another trial at Te Teko in early August, then we will find out what is his best-placed to kick him off,” he said. “We will try and get a bit more black type for his stallion career, which is the main aim.”

Swing Note

3 f Encosta De Lago - Andallthatjazz

Owner: Te Akau

Form: 4320-01353240

OR: 67

As a stakes-placed daughter of noted broodmare sire Encosta De Lago (Fairy King), Swing Note's value is unquestioned, but Richards is confident the filly can come into her own as a four-year-old. “She trialled well on Tuesday and we will probably sneak her down to the South Island as part of our team for Riccarton as well,” he said. “She is the sort of filly who can stretch a little bit and she appears to be a lot more mature this time around. Hopefully she is in for a good four-year-old year.”

Te Akau Shark

3 g Rip Van Winkle - Bak Da Chief

Owner: Various

Form: 114

OR: 82

Te Akau Shark won back-to-back races last spring to open his career before an encouraging fourth in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) behind stablemates Embellish and Age Of Fire (third), but has not raced since. “He trialled well on Tuesday and he will trial again. He is at a place in the ratings where we are going to have to work our way through the grades a little bit but that is a good thing,” he said. “He has only had three starts. His owners have been patient and we will see how he trials in August before we decide where we head with him.”

Mongolianconqueror

3 g Ocean Park - Queen Rania

Owner: Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry, Te Akau Conqueror Syndicate

Form: 9211327287

OR:87

Mongolianconqueror was sent to Australia to round out his three-year-old career, finishing seventh in the ATC Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at his most recent start and it is across the Tasman where the horse's future may again lay. “I am really pleased with the way he came back from Sydney. He had a nice break and he will be ready to trial the first week of August. We will keep all options open, including Australia, for him in the spring,” he said.

Gingernuts

4 g Iffraaj - Double Elle

Owner: Te Akau

Form: 21-4011115-512

OR: 112

Gingernuts was all set to run in the Emirates Stakes (registered as Mackinnon Stakes) (Gr 1, 2000m) at Flemington last November when tragedy struck. Jockey Michael Dee felt something amiss with the strapping gelding pre-race and dismounted. He was found to have fractured a pastern and has been sidelined ever since. “He will be x-rayed in the middle of August and then a plan will be made on his future,” he said. “The x-ray is starting to improve, but we just need to give him time and we want to do the right thing by the horse and his owners.”

Our Abbadean

5 m Lookin At Lucky - Highland Lights

Owner: Llanhennock Trust

Form: 6-467112-401844241-20051121

OR: 99

Our Abbadean came into her own at the end of last preparation, winning two of her past three starts, both at Group 2 level, before being spelled in April. Richards has the Livamol Classic (Gr 1, 2040m) in mind at Hastings for the mare. “She is a mare who has continued to get better with more time. She is coming to hand well and again will trial in the first week in August. She looks ready-made for the last leg at Hastings and the 2000 metre race there should suit her nicely.”

Chance To Dance

8 g Teofilo - Crystal Ballet

Owner: John Galvin

Form: 6-1850450-4231245-10190

OR: 103

Chance To Dance, who was purchased from The Chairman's Sale in 2017 by Ellis on behalf of John Galvin, has been a good recruit for the Te Akau stable and Richards is aiming the gelding at the Haunui Farm Karaka Classic (Listed, 1600m) at Pukekohe in September, a race he won first-up last year. “He has done a good job. He is a bit older now and we have given him a nice long, slow build up. He has been down at the beach and he will be ready to trial later in August. We will probably head towards the mile race that he won last year to kick him off again. Then we will see where we end up after that.”