For a number of years now, Brian Hughes has been considered the leading National Hunt jockey in the north. The Irish-born rider has particularly done well at many of the Yorkshire tracks as she knows them better than anybody riding today.
Last season, Hughes was rewarded for the years of hard work in his career as he became Champion Jockey after riding more winners than any of his peers in the sport. Going into the final month of the season, Hughes is in contention once again for the title.
Aintree Could Be A Big Meeting For Hughes
The Grand National at Aintree is one of the final big meetings left in the jumps season. Hughes is likely to be on board Lake View Lad who has best Grand National odds of 33/1 this year.
Lake View Lad was well beaten by one of the leading Aintree tips, Cloth Cap, last time out. He did win the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree earlier in the season, though. The horse represents Hughes’ best chance of winning the world’s most famous steeplechase for the first time in his career.
Harry Skelton, Hughes’ closest rival in the Jockeys Championship, is also likely to line up in the prestigious contest on Merseyside. He is set to ride Blaklion for his brother Dan. Although the Grand National will count as just one win towards both jockeys’ total for the season, it would be the biggest moment of their careers if they passed the line in front at Aintree.
Nothing Between Champion Jockey Contenders
At the time of writing, the defending champion had 130 winners for the season, with Skelton also on that number. Expect to see both men with as many rides as they can over the next few weeks as they chase the title.
Although we are into the final month of the season, there are lots of meetings for the two riders to appear at. Hughes and Skelton are picking up extra riders from trainers they don’t normally ride for to increase their chances of recording winners.
Hughes is one of only three men to have won the Champion Jockey crown since 2000. Tony McCoy dominated the standings between 1996 and 2015, winning the title in 20 consecutive seasons.
Once McCoy hung up his saddle, Richard Johnson, who finished second 16 times to the greatest jumps jockey of all time, won four straight championships. Hughes would join those great jockeys as a multiple champion with victory this season.
Richard Dunwoody, Peter Scudamore and John Francome are also some of the all-time best National Hunt jockeys ever to ride in the sport. They each had a lot of success in the 80s and 90s in what was a great period in jumps racing.
McCoy also holds the record for the most winners in a single season. He achieved that in 2001 when he rode an incredible 289 winners through the 2000/01 campaign. It is hard to see Hughes or any other jockey in the sport getting close to that number any time soon.
The 2020/21 British Jockeys Championship concludes on the 24th April. A new campaign will then begin in early July when the new jumps season begins.
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