Richards (23) began a new job at Waikato Stud, near Matamata, earlier this month, after a chance encounter with Waikato Stud owner-general manager Mark Chittick two months ago.
Richards was bid-spotting for New Zealand Bloodstock at the Karaka broodmare and weanling sale in May when Chittick approached him.
''He said he might have a position there for me. We sat down and had a chat and everything went ahead,'' Richards said.
Richards' new job is a wide-ranging role, but focuses on organising the racing plans of the large number of gallopers racing under the Waikato Stud banner.
''Mark's got about 80-odd horses on his books either in training or spelling here on the farm,'' Richards said.
''We sent six back into work to different trainers in Cambridge and Matamata last week.
''There's a pre-training establishment that Katie Hercock runs on the other side of the farm. It's got about 30 there at the moment.
''I go over there and ride a bit of work in the morning and get a feel of them to work out where they're going.
''It's a good spot to be and there's a variety of things going on.''
Richards will spend time making contact with the trainers of Waikato Stud's racing interests, along with liaising with clients of the stud. That necessitated a trip to New Plymouth last week as the stud sponsored the Opunake Cup.
The Foxbridge Plate on August 17 is another Waikato Stud-sponsored feature race, but Richards will miss that for good reason. He signs off on his University of Otago career by graduating with a post-graduate diploma in marketing after earlier completing a bachelor of commerce in management and accounting.
''Unfortunately, I'm coming home for graduation that weekend so hopefully when the spring rolls around, I'll get to the races a fair bit.
Richards, son of trainer and former jockey Paul and former Otago Racing Club president Leanne Richards, has no doubt his 30-week experience overseas last year after being awarded the Sunline International Management Scholarship has given him a great jump-start into management roles in the racing world.
''It was a fantastic opportunity. For young people, there's no better opportunity out there, especially in New Zealand. It was a good grounding in many different things - it all worked out well, and I got to go to NZB for the summer and work up there.''
Richards hopes to hit a few more meetings around the Waikato region during the spring and summer, but his first priority will be to the stud.
''When the season gets busier, there'll be a few more jobs going on down here. I'll continue to learn with the mares in foal and stallions and that type of thing.
''But you get to meet all the different people and get to know other people and get your name out there a bit more. It's all good marketing for yourself and for the business as well.''
