Yes, Ricky's Back and with a Carnival Dream

Astute Atherton trainer Ricky Ludwig has come out of retirement with big race plans for a surprise new stable runner, Cluden Park specialist Yes Dream.

Ludwig ended five-months on the sidelines for the chance to race and train Yes Dream and will kick-off the classy sprinter’s winter campaign in the Ladbrokes Open Hcp (1000m) at Cluden on Thursday.

The veteran trainer decided to re-enter the training ranks only weeks ago when Yes Dream and his talented sister Ruby July were offered to him by their Atherton owner-trainer Michael Lee who became ill.

Ludwig bought both siblings and struck instant success when Ruby July won the Mareeba Battle Of The Bush Qualifier on May 26.

“Michael called me and said, ‘do you want two horses’ and I said, ‘no I’m retired’,” Ludwig said.

“But I was looking for one to be honest and these two have been very good horses for Michael.

“We worked out a good deal and then he said ‘but you’ve got to get them today’ so it went from there.

“I won the Battle of the Bush qualifier with Ruby a week later and she carried 64kg. She’s right now to go to Brisbane for the final and I think she’s one of the better ones from up here to go down for it.

“This fella (Yes Dream) had had a bad stone bruise and he was nearly over it when I got him. Michael had been treating him and he seems pretty good now.

“He was in full work and ready to start and looked really good. 

“When you see him down there on Thursday he’ll look a million dollars.

“I think he’s a Cleveland Bay Hcp horse and I’m expecting him to race  very well. “

Ludwig has earned a reputation as an astute conditioner with tried horses both in south-east Queensland and for the past 11 years on the Atherton Tablelands.

With 347 career winners to his name, his most notable success story in the North was Bank Bank Bank, who joined the stable with one placing in three starts in Victoria.

Ludwig won six straight with the Written Tycoon gelding before selling him to Hong Kong where, racing as Tomodachi Kokoroe, he has already won four races and earned over $1 million in prizemoney.

In December last year Ludwig sold the few horses he had left and announced he was retiring.

He cited difficulty getting work riders as his main reason.

But retirement was never going to last. He had been combing the southern on-line sales for the right type. 

Yes Dream and Ruby July came along at the right moment and an old partnership with work rider Kerry Rocket was fired up again.

“I had to get out of the lounge chair – I was putting on too much weight,” he quipped.

“It keeps me active and that’s a good thing. I’ve got Kerry back riding work and he is one of the best work riders I know.”

Ludwig has booked Ryan Wiggins for the ride on Yes Dream, who has  won seven of his 12 starts at Cluden and is first up since running a close second to Hurtle in March.

Wiggins has also been locked in to ride Ruby July in the Battle of the Bush final at Eagle Farm on June 29.

Yes Dream has drawn favourably in barrier 5 and will carry 59kg against top sprinter Smart Image who returns to the north from a Brisbane campagn with the huge impost of 65.5kg.

The last time the pair met, Yes Dream defeated Smart Image in a photo over 1000m at Cluden when both carried 59.5kg.

On Thursday they will face the speedy Aspen Lad and Chilli Jam who is unbeaten at Cluden with five straight wins.

Chilli Jam’s trainer Tony Comerford is testing the carnival waters with the Hellbent mare but knows the sharp rise in class will be a tough task.

“We’re throwing her in the deep end to be honest and see what happens. She’ll tell us where she’s going – either the carnival or miss the carnival and come back later on. It’s no big deal,” Comerford said.

“It’s only going to get harder. Realistically, Thursday is nothing compared to carnival and then you’re stepping up again and again. 

“But she’s going well and has done a terrific job for us.”

Pictured (main image): Track specialist Yes Dream (centre) holds on to beat Smart Image at Cluden last year. Yes Dream will resume in new colours for comeback trainer Ricky Ludwig on Thursday.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.