Leading National Hunt owners Rich and Susannah Ricci target Flat success
Leading National Hunt owners Rich and Susannah Ricci will have their colours carried on a British Flat course for the first time this summer after becoming partners in four two-year-olds with Lambourn trainer Jamie Osborne.
Almost all the Ricci horses, including last week’s Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero Douvan, are based with Willie Mullins in Ireland.
But their familiar pink silks with green spots could now be seen at one of our major Flat festivals.
Owner Rich Ricci (left) and jockey Ruby Walsh in the familiar pink silks with green spots
They share colts by Champs Elysees, Canford Cliffs, Kodiac and Showcasing with leading British jumps owner Michael Buckley and Linda Shanahan, whose husband Paul is an adviser to the Coolmore Stud.
Osborne said he expected two of the colts to run in the Ricci silks and two in Buckley’s colours.
The trainer added: ‘This is a first venture over here. I met Rich seven or eight years ago and we talked about doing this at Royal Ascot last year. The Showcasing and the Kodiac are most forward. They could be ready this side of (Royal) Ascot and, if they were good enough, it would be nice to go there.’
The Riccis have joined a resurgent stable following Osborne’s exploits last season with UAE Derby winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Toast Of New York. Bought from Buckley by Sheik Joaan Al Thani, injury means he misses the Dubai World Cup a week on Saturday.
Osborne said: ‘He is still in lower level exercise. Hopefully he will be back later in the year. I have 35 two-year-olds whereas last year I had 15. Things are going well. It is thanks largely to the exploits of one horse but if you take Toast out of the equation we have had a few consistent years winning plenty of races.’
Jump jockey Danny Cook, 31, has been banned for six months by the BHA after testing positive for cocaine at Musselburgh on February 1.
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