Jamie Richards is one of world racing’s brightest talents who has swiftly amassed a raft of accomplishments worthy of discussion as an all-time great. At the helm of Te Akau Racing, Richards tore down the record books by establishing a New Zealand record for wins in a single season (160), eclipsing the previous record of 143. He also set the record for Group and Listed Stakes wins in a season as well as a new record for Group 1 wins in a season (13). Early on, Richards started off as an amateur rider before completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Accounting as well as a diploma in Marketing which saw him earn a Sunline Scholarship, involving three ten-week stints abroad in Great Britain, Ireland and the United States of America. Through this he gained valuable experience working at leading stud farms around the world before returning to work for New Zealand Bloodstock and then Waikato Stud. Richards joined Te Akau Racing as their racing manager in 2014 and nearly 12 months later his name was listed alongside Steven Autridge’s in the form guide. Together the pair enjoyed huge success before Richards took over in a solo capacity. In total at Te Akau Racing, Richards achieved an incredible 53 Group 1 wins during his record-breaking six-and-a-half-year tenure. Across his time at Te Akau Racing, Richards is renowned for his handling of exceptional talents like Melody Belle, Probabeel, Te Akau Shark, Xtravagant, Gingernuts and Avantage. He closed out his maiden season in Hong Kong with 35 wins and added 22 more throughout the 2024/25 term.
