LEADING
BOUNDS TO A
NEW CAREER!
By Kristen Manning

104 starts — 19 wins, 30
placings. Well over half a
million dollars in stakes.
Winning distances as varied as
1600m to 4700m. Five wins over
the sticks, nine over the jumps,
five on the flat. Competed on 21
different racetracks across
Victoria, first past the post at 11
of them. Ridden by 26 different
jockeys, eight of them
successful.

From Balnarring to Flemington, Moonee
Valley to Moe, Caulfield to Hanging
Rock, Sandown to Traralgon and many
places in between — the travels of the
much loved Leading Bounty.

Having won two Flemington Grand
National Steeplechases (2000 and
2001), Leading Bounty was again well
fancied to take out this year’s edition
but age and weight caught up with the
gelding — the 12Y0 finishing a game
sixth under 69.5kg, the winner Crafty
Dancer carrying 63kg.

And that was Leading Bounty’s
swansong. A marvellous racing career
that spanned an incredible nine
seasons had come to an end. But in
many ways it was just the beginning!
Foaled in New Zealand in 1990,
Leading Bounty was bought for just

$4500 as a weanling by Alan and
Dulcie Richards and what an
investment he turned out to be — not
only winning over 125 times his
purchase price but giving his owners
countless thrills over a long racing
career.

“He won races for us every season,”
Dulcie Richards told On Course, “and
we certainly miss him!”

Dulcie and her husband, who describe
themselves as “very fortunate,” have
enjoyed a number of highs as
racehorse owners. Running a
successful Frankston business called
The Bounty Shop (selling mens
clothing and school uniforms) they
decided to venture into the marvellous
world of racehorse ownership in 1979.

Naturally they chose the word
“ Bounty” as the theme for naming their
horses and it was not long before a
really good horse carried such a name
to victory — that horse being the 1981
Caulfield Cup winner Silver Bounty.

Also the winner of the Group One
George Adams (now Emirates) Stakes,
the Freeway (now Manikato) Stakes
and the Memsie Stakes, Silver Bounty
died only recently aged 25 — living
out his years in a luxurious paddock.

“He was in a lovely spot,” said Dulcie
Richards, “and was very well looked
after.”

Looking after their retired horses is
something that the Richards place
great store in, which is why, on Hiskens Day this year, they handed
over their beloved Leading Bounty to
the Austin family of Stawell.

It was an emotional moment for all
involved — Leading Bounty having
been a member of Gary Carson’s
Mornington stables since early 1993.
“Gary is such a caring trainer,” said
Richards who has stuck with the stable
for over twenty years, “he puts so
much of himself into it.”

And so it must not have been easy for
Carson to say goodbye to Leading
Bounty in August but another,
challenging career lay in front of him.

“He hasn’t had time to get bored,”
joked Richards who is regularly kept
up to date with Leading Bounty’s
progress by his new owner Kristie
Austin.

Austin, a year 12 student and an
accomplished young rider, took over
the reins of Leading Bounty’s career —
the horse having one week off before
being ridden by his new owner, the
two getting to know each other.

With the demands of school’s final
year, Austin sent Leading Bounty to
Margaret Howard where he has been
undertaking extensive dressage
training — and doing exceptionally
well too!

“Her exact words were that he is a
very intelligent horse, very athletic and
an absolute gentleman to ride,” said
Kristie’s mother Kristine Austin.
Due to tackle the showjumping and eventing circuit when he finishes his
current round of dressage training,
Leading Bounty can consider himself a
lucky horse — one who certainly won’t
be left lamented, forgotten in some
faraway paddock.

“He will be spoilt rotten!” said Austin,
“he will get everything he needs here!”

This is good news for all who have loved Leading Bounty — from his
trainer and owners to his strapper
Michael Fitzgerald and his most
regular rider Tim Wheeler. And for all
the fans of jumps racing who enjoyed
Leading Bounty’s long and successful
career.

HOOFNOTE:
The writer has a fond
memory of Leading Bounty. After his
win in the 1995 Ten Hurdle on the
final day of the Melbourne Cup
Carnival the speech by the sponsor
went as such — “Congratulations to
the winning owners Mr and Mrs
Lanfranco,” — Lanfranco listed in the
racebook as Leading Bounty’s sire!