PartialLogo
Interviews
premium

Top jockey had to wait at the gates of heaven but title can never be taken away

Richard Forristal speaks to the rider finally crowned after weeks of limbo

Brian Hughes: won his first riders' championship
Brian Hughes: champion jockey elect still feels like he is standing on shoulders of giantsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Quite what took so long is unclear but, three weeks after the BHA terminated the jumps season, Brian Hughes was on Monday finally granted the right to be called champion jockey.

That it was taking so long for his achievement to be officially recognised had been begun to grate a little.

Once the announcement came on St Patrick's Day that British racing was suspended until the end of April, the jumps season was in effect over. A fortnight later, the authorities in Ireland followed suit and last week the various champions there were all duly anointed.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock
  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on 6 April 2020inInterviews

Last updated 18:27, 6 April 2020

iconCopy