Ludwig's good deed paying off

By Glenn Davis

As the saying goes – one good deed deserves another.

That applies to veteran Tolga trainer Ricky Ludwig who ended his brief two-month retirement to help close friend, former trainer and one-time restaurant owner, Michael Lee.

Lee suffered a serious health problem a few months ago forcing him to sell up and offload his two horses, Yes Dream and Ruby July.

“I got a phone call one day from Michael after he suffered a stroke and he wanted me to take them on,” Ludwig said.

“I was a bit reluctant at first as Ruby July is a rising seven-year-old mare and I didn’t want to breed from her, so eventually I agreed, but I warned Michael I’d probably sell Ruby July.

“Ruby July has since been sold to John Manzelmann and she leaves this week.”

While Yes Dream is now the only horse Ludwig trains, the son of Dream Ahead will attempt to make it two wins from four starts for his new trainer in the Open Handicap over 1400 metres at Cairns on Thursday.

Yes Dream – a Scott Sheargold mount - is coming off a last start win over 1200 metres at Oak Park which took his record to 10 wins from 25 starts.

“He’s going really good, and he ran a track record when he won at Oak Park carrying 64kgs,” Ludwig said.

“It took a couple of runs to get him going again.

“This is his first go over 1400 metres but he’s a good chance.

“It’s a bit of a concern but I’m confident he’ll run the trip.”

Ludwig, who turns 71 in October, is hopeful Yes Dream can head towards the Cleveland Bay Handicap in Townsville if successful at Cannon Park.

“I’ve had three runners in the Cleveland Bay and old Windmill Lane was my best chance, but he couldn’t get past 1200 metres,” he said.

Ludwig has been based on the Atherton Tablelands for around nine years and has held a trainers’ licence for 50 years.

He started training while working at the meat works in Beaudesert, south of Brisbane, before an eight-year stint at Rosevale near Ipswich prior to heading to North Queensland.

He won a heap of races in Brisbane with horses such as Pan Gold, Row Boat and Sundae Jester while in north Queensland he trained his best horse, Bank Bank Bank, who is now rated one of Hong Kong’s best gallopers.

Pan Gold was narrowly beaten when second to Chance Always in the Queensland Cup over 3200 metres at Eagle Farm in 1983 when it took three developed photos to decide the result.

“Bank Bank Bank was the best horse I’ve ever trained but I had some other smart ones like Row Boat who won 14 races,” he said.

“Sundae Jester won 21 races for me at Beaudesert and won just about all the country Cups down that way.”