Welcome to TDN AusNZ’s ‘It Takes A Team’, brought to you in conjunction with the Australian Stud and Stable Staff Awards supported by Godolphin. Here we highlight and celebrate some of the heroes of our industry. The strappers, riders, stud-workers and people behind the scenes of our champions. The people who are up late into the night foaling or up at the crack of dawn for trackwork, working tirelessly to keep our industry running.
Today, we speak with Libby Richards, Te Akau Racing's Racing Manager.
TDN AusNZ: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in the industry?
Libby Richards: I have grown up in a racing family with my father (Paul) being a jockey and training a small team of horses in Dunedin, on the South Island of New Zealand. I always spent my school and university holidays working in the stables and enjoyed being around the horses. You cannot beat the thrill of racing and I didn’t have much choice but to spend my weekends at the races when growing up.
Once I had completed my secondary education in Dunedin, I studied at Otago University for three years and went on to work at the ANZ Bank in Auckland for five years in the Commercial and Agriculture team.
I set off on my OE in 2016 and when returning, I spent a summer working for David Ellis ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at the end of January. I really enjoyed my small stint at Te Akau and after multiple discussions with David, I decided to give up the city life in Auckland and move to Matamata to work for Te Akau Racing in 2018 - the move also meant I would be closer to my family.
Libby Richards
TDN AusNZ: What is your role now and what does it involve?
LR: My title at Te Akau Racing is Racing Manager and this role involves a variety of different responsibilities. From working hands-on in the stable, travelling to races on behalf of Jamie, looking after owners, organising logistics on trial days, managing staff and owner communications.
TDN AusNZ: What excites you most about this role?
LR: Nothing beats a winner at the races – especially on the big Group 1 days – and seeing the thrill our owners get from cheering their horse!
TDN AusNZ: What is the hardest aspect of your role?
LR: Handling the ups and downs of racing from an owner’s perspective – as we all know horses won’t win every time they go to the races despite all the efforts of Te Akau’s New Zealand trainer Jamie (Richards) and our hard-working team behind the scenes. So, it is important they enjoy the overall experience.
TDN AusNZ: What does a normal day look like for you?
LR: Starting work in the stable at 3.45am – getting through trackwork and if there is no trials or races, I spend the afternoons in the office with our Stable Manager (Lena) updating our owners with any post-race/trial, pre-race/trial or general updates on behalf of Jamie.
Lena Jones, Libby Richards and Nicole Shailer
TDN AusNZ: Who would you say your favourite Te Akau horse of all time is?
LR: Being a part of the tangerine team when you’re surrounded by the likes of Melody Belle, Probabeel, the late Te Akau Shark and Avantage is very hard to beat! It’s too hard to choose a favourite, we love them all, whether they win Group races or not, they are all individuals.
TDN AusNZ: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to make their start in the industry?
LR: If you love horses and the thrill of racing, then the hard work will be all worth it.
TDN AusNZ: What is your favourite time of year in the industry?
LR: Summer – we have the Ellerslie Christmas/New Year Carnival, Wellington Cup Carnival, Karaka Million and Auckland Cup Week to enjoy!
TDN AusNZ: What are you looking forward to most once travel opens up again?
LR: Being able to escape the Matamata winter for an exotic getaway.
