Former Cheltenham Festival winning rider Harding gets off the mark as a handler

Former amateur rider Richard Harding saddled his first winner as a handler between the flags last Sunday in Turtulla when Scene Not Herd stormed home in front by an impressive four lengths under James Hannon.

The son of Aizovoski, who was carrying the colours of owner Ray Fitzgerald, a good supporter of Harding’s yard, was unsuccessful on his first three starts in the spring last term.

“He had a three runs last spring; he was third on his first run and then he fell at the first the next day and the following day he pulled up and I think I just ran him once too often for a four-year-old.

“He just wasn’t right, but a couple of my horses last year weren’t right, so I think that was against him last season,” explained Harding.

The patiently ridden four-year-old bay gelding always travelled well and moved ever closer from three-out, easing past his rivals on the approach to the second last fence, showing a good turn of foot when quickening away in the closing stages.

“I knew he was a good type and I was fairly confident going into the race that he would run well, he did what I expected him to do and he put up a good performance.

“It’s always great to get a winner and even more so when it’s in a competitive four-year-old maiden, those races aren’t easy to win anymore so I was delighted and it made it all the better as it was my first win as a handler,” added the Mallow-based handler.

A €25,000 store purchase, the four-year-old is for sale, but he could yet remain with connections and head to Leopardstown at Christmas.

“If we got the right offer for him we would sell, but we think enough of him not to give him away. If he’s not sold, then the plan is to aim him to run in the four-year-old Lepordstown bumper at Christmas.”

Harding called time on his race-riding career; a fact unbeknownst to many. During his 18-year spell as a rider, the Cork native amassed a wealth of experience, partnering 212 winners to success, putting him in the top 20 category of the all-time best riders.

He recorded his 200th winner at Dowth Hall in 2016, 15-years after he first got off the mark in the sphere aboard Corravilla at Nenagh in 2001.

A season's best 30 winners followed in the 2009/10 campaign putting him in the top-5 riders nationally, recognizing his talents which also saw him record a number of Cheltenham Festival victories, including his first two throughout the 2006 Festival on horses trained by the late Ferdy Murphy.

He has also guided subsequent Aintree National winner Ballabriggs to Festival glory in 2011 and just two years later he partnered Cloudy Lane to score in the Aintree Foxhunters.

In recent times the successful rider has transitioned into the business of breakers and pre-trainers while also training a couple of point-to-pointers.
“I’ve been very busy with the yard at home, rides were scarce, and it has become very competitive, so I decided I needed to focus on one or the other, so I chose the handling route as I am not getting any younger.

“I do a lot of sales work for Ballincurrig Stud during the summer and then in the winter I do quite a bit with younger horses while also having a couple of point-to-pointers,” explains Harding who has retained a number of connections with those he rode for, including Donald McCain, who has been a key supporter of his pre-training business.

“Donald has been very good to me; he sends me a good few pre-trainers. I have about six or seven pre-trainers in at the moment, another two point-to-pointers to run before Christmas and couple of more point-to-pointers to run in the spring.

“I have a five-year-old mare by Al Kazeem she ran the same day as Scene Not Herd and finished up third in her race, so I was happy with that and I plan to run her in Dromahane at the end of next month.

“Cal Shine and William O’Hanlon come in a couple mornings a week to give me a hand riding out and I have a young lad Michael Patrick, he comes in at the weekends. My wife Nicola is also a great support and helps me out around the yard.”