Former standardbred stud master set for rare first in racing

By Jordan Gerrans

Former stud master Richard Hutchinson estimates he has bred upwards of 300 standardbreds over his decades in racing.

The vast majority of those pacers and trotters have made it to the races.

And, while he has also dabbled in breeding thoroughbreds at times, the 68-year-old is yet to produce a galloper on race day. 

That will all change on Friday afternoon at Warwick’s Allman Park.

The Hutchinson-bred and owned Toptimistic will make her race day debut at Warwick in a Maiden Handicap over 1200 metres.

“It is good, I am pretty excited about Friday,” Hutchinson said.

“I am not sure I will be as excited by the end of the race (laughs) but we are hopeful.”

Hutchinson is regarded as a respected breeder as well as being a former stud master in the Sunshine State.

He stood successful sires such as Jaguar Spur and Jeremy Laurence in the harness code.

He has bred over 300 standardbred horses, as well as spending a period of time as the breeders association president of Queensland.  

It has been a massive last week for the veteran industry participant, as in his other role as a harness trainer, he claimed his maiden Group level victory with Kingdom Come in the Trotting Feature at Albion Park.

Prepared by Matthew Dunn out of Beaudesert, Toptimistic finished back in the field in her only official trial at her home track last month.

Under race conditions for the first time on Friday, the breeder and owner does not have major prospects for the daughter of Top Echelon.  

“She is four-year-old so we have had her for a while,” he said.

“She is not the first one I have bred; I have other ones here at my property that I have not tried yet, but she will be my first race starter.

“We have had in work for almost a year now, we had her broken in as a two-year-old but did not do anything with her.

“There is no expectations at all, she is just going around.”

The unraced mare has drawn wide for hoop Micheal Hellyer on Friday.

Hutchinson purchased brood mare Optimistic online after she had three race starts in Victoria in 2014 without running in the money.

“She is a New Approach mare, so she is out of a very good family,” Hutchinson said.

“Sadly, she broke her shoulder and passed away.”

The veteran harness trainer also has a couple of other horses in work in the thoroughbred code, on top of debutant Toptimistic.

He has another unraced mare out of Better Than Ready, who went into work at the same time as Toptimistic, but she suffered an injury and has been in the paddock at Hutchinson’s Tamborine property since.

The owner-breeder also has unraced colt - Whatta Whitt - with Patrick Busuttin, who is based at Deagon.

Whatta Whitt finished last in his only public trial at Deagon in July of this year.