Humble start to driven dual-champion jockey: the rise and rise of Brian Hughes

It was probably impossible for anyone to predict that when Perugino Lady, a 59-rated mare trained by Kevin Prendergast, ended her career by landing a lowly 1m4f handicap at Downpatrick in 2002 it would be the start of Brian Hughes's success story.

From County Armagh, Hughes, whose father was a housing executive while his mother was a carer, was bitten by the racing bug when his grandfather took him to watch his uncle ride over hurdles at Dundalk and, after plenty of hunting, he graduated from the Racing Academy and Centre of Excellence (Race).

The celebrated Prendergast was the next stop on the path where Hughes rode as an apprentice before weight took its toll, forcing the young rider to plan a career as a jump jockey.