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Nicky Richards reached a significant landmark when Jehol De Thaix offered him the 1,000 th winner of his career in the opener at Newcastle on Tuesday.

The 5-2 possibility overcame some questionable leaping to hold back Nosy Neighbour in the 2m6f amateur handicap difficulty under Danny McMenamin

The Cumbria-based handler had actually been stuck on 999 winners for 18 days because Jamesieconn scored at Doncaster on March 13 since when he had saddled 18 runners.

His last three runners had actually been up and he said: "It's great to finally get the monkey off my back and get to the 1,000 as we have actually waited long enough.

"Danny drew my attention to the fact we were surrounding the landmark when we remained in the vehicle one day a couple of months ago and he was looking at his iPad as he does the majority of the time and and I think we were 16 short then."

McMenamin informed Sky Sports Racing: "It's an honour and an advantage to ride Nicky's 1,000 winner. I have actually been with him from the start and its an excellent achievement. Nicky got a letter this early morning from somebody congratulating him on reaching the 1,000 which was a bit early but I said to him that we 'd get it today."

Richards rapidly proceeded to 1,001 winners later on the card when Smokeringinthedark landed the 2m4 1/2 f handicap difficulty to provide him a double and McMenamin a treble as the jockey also won the 2m7 1/2 f novice handicap chase on Aill Dubh.

He has actually been training considering that 1998, when he took control of the licence on the death of his dual Grand National-winning father Gordon.

His first winner came at Carlisle, where he took a two-runner race with Better Times Ahead - a chaser who had actually formerly led Gordon Richards' funeral cortege. His most prolific season was 2006-07, when he won 64 races, including 2 Grade ones with elite chaser Monet's Garden.

Turpin Green completed third in the Gold Cup for him that season and other excellent horses he has actually trained include Scottish Grand National winner Takingrisks, dual Grade 1 scorer Simply Ned and Anglers Crag, who landed the Eider Chase at Newcastle last month.

Three of the best Nicky Richards horses

Monet's Garden

This dashing grey was not simply one of Nicky Richards' biggest horses but likewise one of the very best chasers trained in the north this century.

He was an excellent winner of the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in 2007 and 2010 and the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon in 2008, but it was his exploits at Aintree that truly made his name.

Monet's Garden won there five times in overall, taking the Old Roan Chase and Melling Chase twice each. Those were amongst 17 wins for a horse who made ₤ 683,000 and has a bar named in his honour at Carlisle.

Simply Ned

The elite two-mile chaser won 8 times in Britain however his 2 finest days can be found in Ireland.

He was obstructed on the run-in when a close second in a Grade 1 race at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting in 2017 and awarded the race at a questions. But he required no aid from the stewards 12 months later when he took the exact same race completely on benefit, leading close home under Mark Walsh.

Takingrisks

Richards has yet to emulate his daddy by winning the Grand National but he landed the Scottish version with a 25-1 shot who survived a bad error at the very first fence to score by a decisive four lengths at Ayr in 2019.

The doughty stayer also took the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle that year and was nursed back to form to spring a 40-1 surprise in the Great Yorkshire Chase at the age of 12 at Doncaster in 2021.

Nicky Richards' 1,000 wins as fitness instructor:

986 British dives

11 British Flat

3 Irish jumps

Nicky Richards CV

Full name Nicholas Gordon Richards

Born February 25, 1956

Father Gordon Richards (1930-98), fitness instructor of Titus Oates, Lucius, Hallo Dandy, One Man

Career as amateur rider 39 wins 1971-75; finest winners The Spaniard (Fred Withington Chase), Titus Oates, Canadius (Princess Royal Hurdle); champion amateur on Flat 1973 (5 wins)

Assistant to Gordon Richards, Greystoke, near Penrith, Cumbria

Stables as fitness instructor Rectory Farm, Greystoke, near Penrith, Cumbria given that 1998

First winner as trainer Better Times Ahead (ridden by Tony Dobbin) handicap chase, Carlisle, October 9, 1998

First big-race winner Feels Like Gold (1999 Becher Chase)

Melling Chase winner Monet's Garden (2007 )

Ascot Chase winner Monet's Garden (2007, 2010)

Old Roan Chase winner Monet's Garden (2007 (beat Kauto Star), 2009, 2010)

Peterborough Chase winner Monet's Garden (2008 )

Paddy's Rewards Club Chase winner Simply Ned (2017, 2018)

Scottish Grand National winner Takingrisks (2019 )

Caspian Caviar (December) Gold Cup winner Guitar Pete (2017 )

Sky Bet Chase winner Takingrisks (2021 )

Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner The French Furze (2003 )

Liverpool Hurdle winner Monet's Garden (2005 )

Ascot Hurdle winner Monet's Garden (2004 )

Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Noble Alan (2009 )

Mersey Novices' Hurdle winner Turpin Green (2005 )

Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle winner Faasel (2005 )

Placed in Cheltenham Gold Cup Turpin Green (3rd to Kauto Star, 2007)

Pattern-race treble Aintree, April 7, 2005 (Monet's Garden, Faasel, Turpin Green)

Highest-rated horses (RPRs) 168 Turpin Green, 167 Monet's Garden, 164 Eduard, 164 Simply Ned, 157 Faasel

Most respected Grade 1 winner Monet's Garden (3 )

Grade 1 wins 6

Highest position in fitness instructors' championship tenth in 2005-06 and 2006-07

Most wins in a season 64 in 2006-07

1,000 th winner Jehol De Thaix, Newcastle, March 31, 2026

Compiled by John Randall

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