Why Ricky Stuart is cheering for England in the Golden Eagle

NRL champion Ricky Stuart is hoping his charity can snare a slice of the lucrative prize money in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) courtesy of British raider Lake Forest.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has a rich history of unearthing talent from England.

Elliott Whitehead, Josh Hodgson, John Bateman, Ryan Sutton and Morgan Smithies are all proud Englishman to have played under Stuart in Canberra.

The champion NRL coach is hoping his English connections strike gold again, with Stuart chasing a slice of the lucrative prize money in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) with British raider, Lake Forest.

$1 million from the huge prize pool will be donated to charities linked to each of the 20 horses in the field.

10 per cent of any prize money earned is donated to an aligned charity.

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The winner of the Golden Eagle will contribute $525,000 to a charity, with donations paid all the way down to the horse that runs last to the value of $1,000.

The Ricky Stuart Foundation has drawn $34 shot Lake Forest.

Stuart and his wife Kaylie created the foundation in 2011.

Through the experience of raising their daughter Emma with autism, the Stuarts quickly recognised they were in a position to promote real change after witnessing a lack of autism awareness, support and respite care available to local families.

With incredible support from family and friends, as well as local and national contributions, the Ricky Stuart Foundation has delivered two state-of-the-art respite facilities in the ACT and they’re already planning their third a home for individuals with a disability.

“It has all come off the back of what has worked for Emma,” Stuart told Sky News.

“And the respite and carers have been wonderful for Emma. We thought we wanted to help other families enjoy what we knew worked.

“Now Emma has moved into independent living, it’s given her independence and freedom. The other thing on our agenda and what any prize money we receive will go to, is education.

“The awareness of autism and education through schools, to help them (students) understand, what and how an autistic child lives.

“Its something deep in our heart that we want to put into the education system so that this generation coming through school are understanding of how children with autism live their lives.”

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Stuart said the alignment of charities with the Golden Eagle was just another winning move by NSW Racing.

“The concept for the charities is just a 100 per cent winner, one for the financial gain but also the awareness,’’ Stuart said.

“But what NSW racing have done for this spring carnival from The Everest into the Golden Eagle, you’ve only got to see those crowds at The Everest a couple of weeks ago, what it’s done for racing, what it’s done for the younger people that are going to the races now because it’s an event.

“We’re turning the NRL into an event with Vegas, that’s why it’s becoming so successful.

“NSW Racing have absolutely brained it in regards to the concept they’ve created over the last five or six years.”

A for his hopes for Lake Forest, Stuart smiled: “It’s quite a coincidence that Cieren (Fallon), the jockey riding Lake Forest is good friends with Ryan Sutton, who was at the Raiders for a number of years and also with (Raiders forward) Morgan Smithies, with all three boys from Wigan.

“So there’s a bit of connection there and we’ve had some success with the English boys out here, so let’s hope we get a bit of success with an English horse.”

See the full interview with Ricky Stuart on Racing Dreams at 9am on Saturday on Sky News (channel 600).

Originally published as Why Ricky Stuart is cheering for England in the Golden Eagle