Richards enjoying winning send-off
Paul Richards is making the most of his time with his bright staying prospect Mazzuro.
He enjoyed success with the son of Rip Van Winkle at Geelong yesterday and will continue to campaign the three-year-old in Australia until the gelding changes hands.
However, Mazzuro will remain in the family as Richards will shortly be joining the Te Akau operation at Matamata in the role of travelling foreman and will relinquish his licence.
Son Jamie will be taking sole charge at Te Akau from the start of the 208-19 season with his current co-trainer Stephen Autridge taking a step back from the demands of running a major stable.
“I’ll be assisting Jamie and Mazzuro will be transferring to him,” Richards senior said.
“He’s a fair sort of animal and he’s still quite lightly-framed and will continue to develop into a lovely stayer.”
Mazzuro is raced by Mosgiel couple Bill and Sandra Duell, long-standing clients of Richards and the chestnut was sourced as a replacement for their multiple stakes-winning sprinter Natuzzi.
“We retired Natuzzi and the owners said we’d better get another one and (bloodstock agent) Mick Preston put us on to Mazzuro,” Richards said.
“He’d won a couple of trials in the central districts and I went down and rode him in a gallop. We got him vetted and purchased him in January.
“The only down side was that he’d missed much of his three-year-old career so I said to the owners if he came up well we’d chase some good money in Australia.”
Mazzuro finished fourth at Pukekohe in his second start last month and then crossed the Tasman to run second at Moe in his Victorian debut before he won over 2200m at Geelong.
“He went over on April 18 and at the time I only had two in work, the other one was Bojangles who transferred to Jamie and a week later he won first-up at Awapuni,” Richards said.
“If Mazzuro does well he’ll run next Saturday at Sandown in a A$120,000 three-year-old handicap over 2100m.
“The better three-year-olds are in Adelaide, Sydney and Queensland and there’s still good money on offer in Melbourne. It’s so much easier to place him over there.”