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InterviewNicky Richards
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'I've still got the fire in me' - why it will take more than a brush with death to stop Nicky Richards
The veteran trainer talks to Peter Thomas about the past glories of Greystoke and the promise of the future

King of the hill: Nicky Richards in his element, training in the Cumbrian fellsCredit: Edward Whitaker
I last spoke to Nicky Richards back in November and it was a memorable chat, for me at least. I'd called to stake my claim for the title of Stupidest Question Asked by a Racing Journalist 2024 and, by the time I'd finished, the award was in the bag.
I was due to drive up to see him but reluctant to set off on the 350-mile trek from Kent to Cumbria without first checking all was well, so I called and he answered, a little tremulously, I thought.
"Are you okay, Nicky?" I asked him.
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Published on inThe Big Read
Last updated
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more inThe Big Read
- 'Being the most successful female jockey ever is all right - it's not champion jockey, though, is it?'
- 'We felt pushed into a corner' - how stable staff brought Guineas day to a standstill and changed the industry forever
- 'I came in for a lot of ridicule and some of it was rough - but everyone here always had my back'
- 'You always look up to the champion jockey - and I can't believe that's going to be me'
- 'You can get a bit of stick in this sport if you're a poster boy - and I got absolutely rinsed about the magazine cover'