Pat Richardson back with the winning feeling at home

By Jordan Gerrans

Back ‘home’ in the Central West, veteran trainer Pat Richardson was chuffed to nab a victory at Ilfracombe on Saturday afternoon and is optimistic he might get another one or two during the stint. 

The 78-year-old is Dalby-based these days and has taken a couple of gallopers to Tambo to campaign through the winter months of the year. 

He found success on the dirt at Ilfracombe as gelding Harlequin Field scored in Benchmark 55 Handicap company over 1400 metres, which gave the trainer his first winner in a few years.

Local jockey Robert Faehr did the steering of Harlequin Field and the rider put the seven-year-old into the race approaching the home turn after taking him around the field. 

It was a smart piece of riding from Faehr as the gelding put more than a length between him and the chasing pack in the finish.

The voice of racing in the Central West Andrew Watts applauded the ride of Faehr in the call, noting it was his mid-race decision that won the race for Richardson. 

Harlequin Field was beaten by a touch over two lengths at the Barcaldine TAB meeting on Monday of last week which prepared him perfectly for the Ilfracombe assignment where he carried 63kg. 

“I thought he could win, his run the other day at Barcaldine was pretty good,” the veteran trainer said.

“He is pretty hard to catch, this fella, but on his day – he is pretty effective.

“Robbie rode him the way he wanted and he won on him really well.

“Robbie has been a good little rider for me since I ran into him at Birdsville many years ago.”

Faehr collected a winning double at Ilfracombe’s non-TAB meeting on Saturday as he won the opening event aboard Brisket for Barcaldine's Patrick O’Toole, as well. 

It was Harlequin Field’s first win for the stable since he transferred from Matthew Dunn’s barn over the border in the middle of last year. 

Richardson had not been in the winner’s enclosure since the 2022-23 campaign before Harlequin Field landed the prize on Saturday. 

Richardson – whose father was also a trainer - hails from Charleville and took a team of two from his Dalby base to Tambo for a campaign - Harlequin Field and Kordia. 

While the conditioner has been based around the Darling Downs for the last four or so decades, he still has strong links to the western parts of the Sunshine State. 

“It is our home out here in the west and it is a bit hard to win a race around Dalby these days,” he said.

“We are retired so we decided to get out to the west and see all the old fellas again.

“If we could win another race next week then we would be happy.”

Richardson says Kordia is a better horse than Harlequin Field and he is hopeful the eight-year-old can also win a race during the trip.

They are both likely to front up at Blackall on Monday for their TAB meeting.

Kordia won the Listed Winning Edge Stakes for former trainer James Cummings back in 2019.

Longreach will host a race day later this month following the Blackall program which Richardson says his gallopers may stay for if they continue to race well.