News

Steve Richard's star Rostova one out of the Blue

18th Feb 2009

*Herald Sun - Adrian Dunn - Wednesday, 18 February 2009 *

STEVE Richards rolls out a line that has been the anthem for fellow trainer John Hawkes, the man many believe stands in the way of Richards' greatest triumph, winning Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes.

Asked to describe himself, Richards replies: "Probably just a battler."

When reminded that is the catch phrase of Hawkes, the self-anointed little Aussie battler, Richards quips: "I know who's the battler. It will be good to see two battlers fighting out the Diamond."

Richards said he has been through some "tough stages", but his motto is based on the adage that "give up" never won a race.

Rostova, winner of three black-type races from three starts, is the headline act in Richards' boutique stable that houses just 13 horses at Flemington.

That number has dropped to as low as four, but Richards has never been disillusioned.

"You never give up, you never know what is around the corner. You just have to keep trying," Richards said.

"I have seen people give up, give it away. As far as I'm concerned I would go and live in a caravan and tie a horse up next to the caravan and train it from there.

"Over the years we have had some handy horses, but never had a real superstar.

"At different times I could have had more horses, but I'm pretty selective. I don't want to be carting horses around to Woop Woop. You just go broke doing that."

Thirty-four years ago in the fifth Blue Diamond, Richards occupied the winner's stall, as he again hopes to do after the running of this year's $1 million race.

Weight ended his career as a jockey after just 17 winners from about 90 rides in the country, but he found his way into the employ of James Bartholomew Cummings, working as a strapper.

"My claim to fame was winning the Broken Hill Cup on Tudor Peak and he came out to run second in an Australian Cup behind Leilani," Richards said.

"They carried me around the town that night. It was hot and dusty. I got too tall, too heavy.

"I thought one day I might make it as a trainer, so I thought I would learn from the best."

Lord Dudley, winner of the 1975 Diamond, was one of the horses Cummings entrusted Richards to look after.

After being beaten by Hamden at Flemington, Lord Dudley turned it around to defeat the Angus Armanasco-trained Hamden in the Blue Diamond.

"It was a big thrill. He was a lovely horse, a beautiful colt. It was a great day for us as Bart also won the Futurity with Martindale," Richards said.

"I remember waiting for the photo as I walked down the stairs. When Lord Dudley was announced as the winner I remember slapping (owner) Andrew Chirnside on the back and nearly knocking him all the way down the stairs.

"Luckily, there were people in front of him and that stopped his momentum. I thought, 'Oh, my God', I was so excited."

In his time with Cummings, Richards learned the value of patience.

"Bart was a marvel in getting his horses to relax and fed them well," he said.

It is a policy Richards employed when he branched out on his own.

But first he worked as foreman for Terry Millard, who prepared Battle Sign to win the AJC Derby in 1975.

After eight years with Millard, Richards took out his own trainer's licence. He's had some handy horses, but none in the league of Rostova.

Richards cast his eye over all the horses in the Yallambee Stud draft at last year's Melbourne Premier sales.

The Testa Rossa filly from the Anabaa mare, Space Talk, stuck in his mind.

"She was an outstanding individual, she had a very good pedigree. She was by a good sire and came from a good female family," he said.

"She was just the best walking filly you would wish to see. She had good shoulders, hindquarters and she had scope, she was just perfect. I thought she was the perfect filly."

He budgeted $140,000 for the filly. Richards got lucky. The filly was knocked down to him for $80,000.

Richards, whose wife Mary-Anne retains a share, had little trouble syndicating the filly.

Many of the owners had previously raced horses with Richards, but the Behind The Bar syndicate, a group from the Waterloo Cup Hotel in Moonee Ponds, and the Linc syndicate, friends who gather at the Lincolnshire Arms in Essendon, came aboard.

Richards has fielded offers for Rostova, but he didn't even entertain them. "It doesn't matter what they offered, she is not for sale," Richards said

From the first time he gave Rostova a "little run up" he knew the filly was blessed with above average talent.

"She just excelled. Sometimes you see it once and think maybe that was a fluke, but when she did it again, I knew she was one out of the box," Richards said.

Working for Cummings and Millard prepared Richards well in more ways than one. There's no great mood swings; Richards keeps an even keel.

But he says he and the owners are enjoying the ride. It will get a lot better if she can maintain her unbeaten record in the Diamond. And he'll gladly discard the battler tag.