Joey Ramsden and Wayne Kieswetter’s Ridgemont Stud operation have unexpectedly split and as a result 14 horses have left, or are about to leave, the Milnerton trainer’s yard, writes Michael Clower.
Craig Carey – ‘amicable split…’
The first intimation that something was wrong came shortly after 11.00am on Friday when Ramsden’s assistant Ricardo Sobotker scratched Icy Fire from the Fillies Guineas, citing ”change of stable” and leaving the sought-after Bernard Fayd’Herbe twiddling his thumbs in frustration in the jockeys’ room.
Joey Ramsden – top trainer loses Ridgemont
Ridgemont manager Craig Carey said on Saturday: “It’s an amicable departure and there is no animosity on our side. Joey told us that he did not want to train for us anymore.
“I think Icy Fire would have run a very good race in the Fillies Guineas but in the circumstances we didn’t think it was the right thing to run her. Who will train her in future will be finalised this week but it is likely to be Brett Crawford. He will get a percentage of the horses, some will go to Mike Bass and some to Ormond Ferraris.”
Ramsden would not comment, except to say: “I think Wayne is a superstar but other than that I don’t want to talk about it.”
Drinks magnate Kieswetter – he is the boss of Magnum and part-owner of a successful Scottish whisky distillery – has spent a small fortune buying fillies to form the basis for his breeding operation and has taken first retainers on both Fayd’Herbe and Greg Cheyne.
Cold As Ice – top Ridgemont filly
He sent his best horse so far, the Ramsden-trained Cold As Ice (part-owned by Brian Finch), to England to be trained by William Haggas and even forked out for Fayd’Herbe to fly over and ride her.
The businessman and Ramsden seemed to have a perfect relationship, the trainer going to Australia to buy fillies for the operation and Kieswetter helicoptering Ramsden around the studs for pre-sales inspections. Ramsden had long been a close friend of Carey.
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