Te Akau Announces New Season Leadership Plans

Te Akau Racing has today announced a leadership change for the new season commencing 1 August 2018, with current co-trainer Jamie Richards assuming the helm of the eight-time Champion stable's New Zealand arm from the beginning of the new season.

Confirming the appointment of Richards as Te Akau's New Zealand trainer for the operation with stables in New Zealand and Singapore, Te Akau Principal David Ellis said:

“Together Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards have been a potent partnership.  In three years, they have won a Premiership, been named Champion Trainers and have recorded 42 Group and Listed race successes together, including 13 at Group 1 level.  This season Te Akau is the leading stable for New Zealand Group/Listed races won (17 with 5 at Group 1 level) - in fact this season we have broken our own record for the number of stakes' wins in a season which previously stood at 15 under Mark Walker.

“Stephen Autridge has decided to take a step back from running a major stable. Stephen and his wife Lynley are two of the finest people you will ever meet in racing.  They are both champion individuals and we have been so fortunate to know them as professional colleagues and more importantly as friends for such a long period of time.

“Stephen is as good a horseman as you will ever meet, and it's been a very successful and happy association.  We will miss him and Lynley greatly but naturally we respect their desire to take life a little easier.

“Stephen has been an outstanding mentor to Jamie, passing on the wisdom of his years of experience so the transition will be seamless.  Jamie comes into this role with world-class credentials - with a double University degree in commerce and marketing.  He has been the recipient of the prestigious Sunline Scholarship and has a huge grounding in industry knowledge.  This began very early in his life with his parents Paul and Leanne Richards who are highly respected in the industry; continued with his overseas' scholarship experiences; then his tenure at both New Zealand Bloodstock and Waikato Stud, and then he was Te Akau's racing manager before joining the training partnership.

Stephen Autridge added:

“This is a natural progression and a very positive one to my mind.  When I re-joined Te Akau three years ago it was always my goal to achieve three career highlights before “handing the baton” on to Jamie.

“I hadn't won the Derby as a trainer, I achieved that with Gingernuts.  I wanted to train 1000 winners and that happened recently on the day we laid my mother Gloria to rest and I wanted to win another Trainers' Premiership - mission accomplished.

“Mentoring rising talent has always been important to me, passing on my knowledge and experience and I have enjoyed doing this with Jamie and Mark Walker before him.  Jamie is a naturally gifted horseman and the stable will be in very skilled hands.  He has my total support and I will follow his career with pride.

“Lynley and I have loved our time with Te Akau - there have been so many memorable moments - winning Group 1 races on both sides of the Tasman; the quality of bloodstock we enjoy having in the stable to train, and watching the team deliver results.  For us it is time to step back from leading a major stable - we want to spend more time enjoying our family and our leisure time.”

The new challenge awaiting Jamie Richards is one he is relishing …. he commented:

“Ever since I started riding track work for my Dad at about nine years of age I wanted to be a top trainer.  When I left school instead of going full-time into racing, my parents insisted that I went to university.  However before attending university I was at the track riding work and helping Dad train the horses each morning. I knew then for certain what my future would be.

“When I graduated from university I was awarded a Sunline scholarship to study in Ireland, England and the USA.  I used to love riding work for trainers like Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket.  I then came back to New Zealand and worked for both New Zealand Bloodstock and Waikato Stud and I loved the experience but I knew I wouldn't be happy until I was a racehorse trainer.

“I would like to thank Steve Autridge.  As he was to Mark Walker, he has been a great mentor to me throughout our partnership.  I have learnt a lot from him and am hugely grateful for that guidance.  We have had a great three seasons together and while I am sad to see our partnership end, I am also incredibly excited about the future.

“To lead the Te Akau NZ operation is a once in a lifetime opportunity, it's a dream come true and I can't wait for the new season.  The horsepower in the stable for the new season is formidable and the team and I are totally committed to bringing out the very best in every one of them for our exceptional group of owners.”

David Ellis concluded:

“When Stephen Autridge left Te Akau in 1996 to go out on his own, Mark Walker took over the helm.  Mark was 25 years old.  At that time, it was quite simply the best decision I had ever made.   Mark broke every record in the book - he is a great trainer, a five-time Premiership winner in New Zealand and now a two-time Champion Singapore trainer too.

“Now Te Akau will be led by another young talent in 28-year-old Jamie.  I have never in my life been as confident as I am in my belief that Jamie will go on to be one of the great trainers in Australasia. He is a brilliantly capable horseman who deals in the currency of common sense - and has one of the greatest work ethics I have ever seen.

“Jamie also has the advantage of having the best staff in Te Akau's history.  He will lead a team of world-class industry professionals - people such as Kris and Nicole Shailer, Kerry Jones, Dan Miller and Mason Stevens - plus Te Akau has the best jockey that I have ever seen in New Zealand in my time in our stable rider Opie Bosson.

“They say the future belongs to those who seize it and I can tell you that with this team, that future is incredibly exciting.”

Additional biographical information: JAMIE RICHARDS
Jamie joined Te Akau Racing as Racing Manager in March 2014. He grew up with horses from an early age and was always destined to be involved in the industry. Jamie's father Paul was a successful jockey in the South Island and is now a successful trainer. Jamie graduated from the Otago University with a degree in Management and Accounting (BCom) before completing a postgraduate diploma in Marketing. While at university, Jamie spent time working for Pencarrow Racing when Te Akau's Mark Walker headed that team.

Jamie was awarded a Sunline Scholarship by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.  He was based at Newmarket where he regularly rode work for Sir Michael Stoute then worked at the prestigious Cheveley Park where he spent time learning how to foal mares, foal handling skills and becoming familiar with the resident stallions. He also attended the night classes at the English National Stud. From there he went to Coolmore Stud in Ireland, followed by a yearling preparation at Taylor Made in Lexington, USA where he also worked at the Sarotoga Sale and world-renowned Keeneland Yearling Sale.

Jamie then returned to New Zealand working for New Zealand Bloodstock and Waikato Stud before joining Te Akau Racing.  He has also enjoyed success as an amateur rider with nine race day rides for four wins including a win aboard Highly Likely in the Te Akau tangerine!

In his short time as a trainer, Jamie has already co-trained 13 Group 1 winners amongst his 42 Group/Listed race wins.  This includes a dual Group 1 NZ 2000 and Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas' double with Xtravagant and Risque and two further Group 1 wins by Xtravagant in Jamie's first season; the Group 1 Levin Classic with Hall of Fame and then also again this season with Age of Fire; the Group 1 NZ Derby, Group 1 Rosehill Guineas and Group 1 Windsor Park Plate with Gingernuts, the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guinea's quinella with Embellish and Age of Fire; the Karaka Million quinella with Avantage and Al Hasa; the Group 1 Sistema Stakes quinella with Sword of Osman and Avantage and the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' with Avantage, who looks a hot contender for the Champion 2YO of the Year award.

It was an outstanding result to see Jamie win his first Trainers' Premiership in partnership with Stephen Autridge in his first year of training as well as being jointly named Champion Trainer for the 2015/16 season in New Zealand with Stephen Autridge - the pair was again named as a finalist in 2016/17.

In 2016/17 the Te Akau trainers won more stake money in New Zealand than any other stable and in 2017/18, Te Akau was again the first stable to earn more than $1 million dollars for its owners in New Zealand.  It also is the leader for Group/Listed wins for the season 17 - five at Group 1 level.