• Richards was on course to see Famous Bridge take home the National trial crown
  • This comes four months after suffering a horror fall riding at his Penrith stable 
  • The victory emulates that of his father, who won the same race 33 years ago

By DOMINIC KING

The spring in Nicky Richards’s step may be missing, but the glint in his eye returned and nobody was complaining.

Richards has a gift for training old-fashioned staying chasers, much like his father, Gordon, and there was something symbolic about him saddling the winner of Haydock’s Grand National Trial; 33 years after his Dad had landed the race with Twin Oaks, 6-1 shot Famous Bridge obliged for him.

What made this victory so welcome, though, was Richards was on course to see it. Back in November, the 68-year-old was airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle after suffering grievous injuries following a fall on the gallops at his stable in Penrith.

He broke his shoulder, pelvis and several ribs after the horse he was riding, Houston Texas, collapsed, but here he was, three months on, looking in fine form. His spirits, undoubtedly, had been lifted by the resolute way Famous Bridge held off the challenge of favourite Apple Away from the last fence.

‘Wasn’t that grand?’ asked Richards but no response was required. ‘I thought Famous Bridge was very unlucky in this race last year, he was only tipping away when he unseated but never mind.

‘He has made up for it here. He’s always been a grand horse. He’ll stay all day.

Nicky Richards was on course to see Famous Bridge take home the National trial crown

Back in November, the 68-year-old was airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle after suffering grievous injuries following a horror fall on the gallops at his stable in Penrith

Back in November, the 68-year-old was airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle after suffering grievous injuries following a horror fall on the gallops at his stable in Penrith

His victory emulates that of his dad, who won the same race 33 years ago with Twin Oaks

His victory emulates that of his dad, who won the same race 33 years ago with Twin Oaks

‘I don’t think he will go to Aintree, for the big one, this year. He’s a bit low in the weights, so we’ll look at the Cheltenham Festival and then the Scottish National. Maybe we can look at Aintree next year. There won’t be anything stopping him.’

There is nothing stopping his trainer, either.

‘You wouldn’t believe the amount of good wishes I received,’ he said. ‘Will I ride again? Oh, well, I’m sure I’ll jump on one again some day! It’s our life, isn’t it?

‘You have to keep getting back on the horse, as they say. The recovery is slow, I’ve a few aches and pains, but we’ll get there. You live and learn.’

The tonic of watching Famous Bridge jump and gallop for jockey Sean Quinlan, though, could not be understated, not least as the gelding was wearing the distinct yellow-and-green quartered silks of the late Trevor Hemmings, who was such a supporter of Richards.

This triumph was welcome and so, too, was the one achieved by Pic D’Orhy in the Betfair Ascot Chase.

It has been a tough season for his trainer Paul Nicholls but Harry Cobden never had a moment’s worry in the Grade One, coming home 10 lengths clear of favourite Corbett’s Cross.

‘We all have peaks and troughs,’ said Nicholls, the 14-time champion trainer. ‘It just hasn’t gone right since Christmas for various reasons, but you’ve just got to keep believing in yourself and what you do.

‘We just lack a few (top) horses like this at the moment but it will come back.’

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Nicky Richards is back with a bang after horror fall – as tenured trainer saddles Grand National Trial winner at Haydock

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