Richards to take up Hong Kong challenge
Jamie Richards will part ways with Te Akau Racing and enter the Hong Kong racing cauldron next season after accepting a coveted offer from the Jockey Club to move to Asia.
Already a champion trainer in New Zealand with 50 Group 1s to his name, the 32-year-old, who has taken all before him with elite–level success in New Zealand and Australia, was yesterday announced by the HKJC as its newest expatriate trainer.
Richards is the same age as David Hayes was when he was first recruited to the Hong Kong training ranks in 1996.
Hayes, who returned to Hong Kong last year after a 15 years back in Australia where he oversaw the transformation of Lindsay Park, won two Hong Kong training premierships during his first stint in Asia.
The move by Richards, which has been kept under tight wraps while negotiations were taking place, has paved the way for champion Singapore trainer Mark Walker to return to the helm of Te Akau’s New Zealand stable which he led with distinction prior to 2010 and broke numerous training records.
Expatriate New Zealand Group 1-winning trainer Donna Logan, who is already based in Singapore, will take over from Walker to prepare Te Akau and Fortuna’s horses at Kranji racecourse.
The Matamata-based Richards, who will join fellow Kiwi trainer Paul O’Sullivan in Hong Kong, dominated the last racing season with 160 wins to his name, including 36 at stakes level in New Zealand, to go with four in Australia, while he claimed 13 of the 21 Group 1 races in New Zealand, to go with two across the Tasman.
Richards, who began training in partnership with Stephen Autridge before going it alone in charge of Te Akau, has enjoyed elite–level success in Australia on six occasions, with Gingernuts (Iffraaj), Melody Belle (Commands), Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) and Probabeel (Savabeel).
“Being invited to train in Hong Kong is an incredible honour and it’s a dream come true to challenge myself against some of the world’s best,” Richards said.
“I owe so much to David (Ellis, Te Akau principal), Mark (Walker) and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis), there is no doubt that without Te Akau I would not be where I am today or have this international opportunity.
“They believed in me, mentored me, and surrounded me with a truly amazing team, as well as the very best of bloodstock, enabling me to develop my skill and passion as a trainer.
“I am a proud New Zealander, and I won’t forget how New Zealand and leading Te Akau Racing has shaped me. I can’t wait to fly the Kiwi flag and be the very best ambassador possible for our industry in Hong Kong.”
Ellis believes the recognition of Richards’ talents is a proud moment for the local industry.
“I think it’s fantastic news for the whole racing and breeding industry that our leading trainer will compete in Hong Kong on the world stage,” Ellis told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“It’s also fantastic that Mark Walker, who has been working for me since the day he left school and has been running our Singapore stable, is coming back to New Zealand. I think everybody wins.”
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s executive director of racing Andrew Harding said: “Jamie Richards is an exceptional talent. He has rewritten the record books in New Zealand racing and amply demonstrated that he has the ability to train at the standard required in Hong Kong and make a significant contribution to our world-class racing.
“He has the experience and insight to source horses that will succeed in Hong Kong, the skills to achieve high-performances, and an absolute commitment to owners’ communication and providing owners with a high-value ownership experience.
“He has the energy, passion and ability to make a valuable addition to the ranks of trainers in Hong Kong.”
Champion New Zealand jockey Danielle Johnson, Richards’ partner, will also be relocating to Hong Kong.
“Danielle will be coming to Hong Kong, at this stage just as my partner, and we will do it together,” Richards said.
“The future is very exciting for Danielle and I and it is going to be a wonderful opportunity for ourselves to set us up hopefully for the rest of our lives.”
Walker, who will return to New Zealand in early 2022, is ready to embrace the challenge of running a major stable in his home country.
“I enjoy educating yearlings and seeing them develop into racehorses. In Singapore we have ‘ready-made’ racehorses so returning to work with these youngsters, as well as the calibre of Te Akau’s older horses, will give me enormous satisfaction,” Walker said.
“I have remained closely involved in Te Akau’s New Zealand operation while being in Singapore and with the quality of horses David buys, it’s wonderful to be involved with the New Zealand industry again.”
Richards is expected to hand over the reins to Walker at Te Akau Racing in April or May and he will then travel to Hong Kong in May ahead of the 2022-23 season.