An honour to train in Hong Kong, says Richards

HONG KONG • What an honour and a very rare opportunity to be licensed by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said New Zealand trainer Jamie Richards in an interview via Zoom, after he was officially endorsed on Friday.

"It's a very rare opportunity that doesn't come around very often and something that I have been particularly keen on chasing in recent times," he said.

The head trainer of Te Akau Racing, Richards has earned his place in the New Zealand record books in more ways than one.

The 32-year-old set a win record for a single season (160), a record for domestic Group/Listed Stakes wins in a single season (36), a new all-time tally for Group 1s through a single season, the most prize money earned and the fastest 100 wins for a single New Zealand racing season.

"I think Asia, and in particular Hong Kong, is a very important part of world racing as was showcased last week with the Hong Kong International Races," said Richards.

"It's some of the most competitive racing in the world with some of the best-bred animals and some of the best trainers and jockeys."

He boasts three training championships in New Zealand while at the helm of Te Akau Racing, twice reaching the top with 101 wins, before achieving an astonishing 160 through the 2020/21 season, which also encompassed his record 36 wins at Group or Listed Stakes level.

Richards is synonymous with the nurturing of exceptional talents, such as Melody Belle, Probabeel, Te Akau Shark, Xtravagant, Gingernuts and Avantage.

He guided Melody Belle to a record-breaking 14 Group 1 wins - the most by a New Zealand-trained galloper. She also remains the only horse in local history to claim the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown.

Not least, she also claimed successive New Zealand Champion Racehorse of the Year titles (2018/19 & 2019/20), as well as a top-level score across the Tasman Sea in Australia, winning the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington Racecourse.

"It's a challenge that we're really looking forward to, it's a difficult decision to leave New Zealand and, as well we've enjoyed so much success in Australia, that was going to be a viable option as well. But I'm really looking forward to the challenge of training in Hong Kong," said Richards.

Probabeel, his other leading flagbearer, is the only horse to win both age-restricted features at the Karaka Million meeting. She is also a four-time Group 1 winner in Australia.

Having achieved a remarkable 50 Group 1 winners across his career, Richards landed the half-century milestone when he trained the first four across the line in the 2021 Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas last month, led by The Perfect Pink.

In recent times, he has trained five successive winners of the NZ$1 million (S$927,000) 2YO Karaka Million - with Melody Belle (2017), Avantage (2018), Probabeel (2019), Cool Aza Beel (2020) and On The Bubbles (2021).

HKJC