Rival trainers could be excused for passing the hat around at Ellerslie tonight to buy Jamie Richards a free early flight to Hong Kong, because there will be plenty relieved when the star trainer leaves for his new career there in April.
Richards, who is moving to Hong Kong after gaining a sought-after trainer's permit there, signed off from his final Karaka Million meeting for the foreseeable future at Ellerslie by winning both $1 million races, as well as the $110,000 Almanzor Trophy with Sword Of State for good measure.
The massively-plunged Dynastic won the Karaka Million for two-year-olds, overcoming a slow start with a perfect Opie Bosson ride to give Richards his sixth straight training win in the race and Bosson his fifth, his domination only interrupted by suspension last year.
It was a victory of many layers with Dynastic sired by Cambridge Stud's new stallion Almanzor and providing him with his first Southern Hemisphere winner, remarkably coming in a $1 million race.
That is not only a dream result for Cambridge Stud but also the New Zealand breeding industry as Almanzor is one of the main young new stallions breeders are relying on to boost future sales.