Nicky Richards It was never going to be easy following a legend of the status of Gordon W Richards, but One Man’s trainer would be proud if he could look down on the consistent achievements of his son Nicky since he took over at Greystoke stables just before the turn of the century.
History can look back favourably on such as Playlord and Grand National winners Lucius and Hallo Dandy as well as the great grey, but in his turn the son brilliantly supervised the long, spectacular career of much-loved Monet’s Garden. Nicky has maintained a high level of achievement since those heady days and if the latest uncompleted season’s figures slipped a little, it is easy to forget just how much racing was lost to the weather in the north through waterlogging even before the abrupt halt called immediately after Cheltenham.
Big races in the north, especially Aintree and the Ayr Scottish Grand National meeting were lost. Nicky had won the Scottish National 12 months earlier with Takingrisks and that horse was being prepared for Aintree and then possibly a return to Ayr soon after when the halt was called. Such as Caius Marcius might be re-primed for action when summer jumping resumes. Richards can also look forward to training a nice team of bumper horses, among them several already winners for Trevor Hemmings, so we know what the future holds for them.