'It's absolutely the aim' - Hughes gunning for second title after flying start

Brian Hughes is determined to win back the jump jockeys' championship following a blistering start to the new campaign that has seen him soar clear of his rivals at the top.

The 2019-20 champion already has 59 winners on the board, 19 clear of Sean Bowen, and while the season steps up a notch in the coming weeks, Hughes has his sights set on regaining the title he lost to Harry Skelton last term.

He is as short as 2-7 with William Hill to emulate the likes of Richard Johnson, Tony McCoy, Richard Dunwoody and Peter Scudamore in becoming a multiple champion jockey in Britain, with last year's rival Skelton 9-2 to retain his title.

Hughes said: "The title is absolutely always the aim. It was last year and I'm determined it will be again this year. Hopefully I stay fit and healthy, but you do have to take it day-by-day in this game.

"Donald [McCain] had a smaller team than usual this summer, probably with the make-up of last season not starting until later on, but what he has run has run incredibly well. It all helps.

"I've started off well this year and the last couple of weeks have been steady enough, but I've got a lot of nice horses to look forward to. The other lads do too, but I'm only worried about myself in winning another title."

How Hughes' fast start compares with his title-winning year

Current season (2021-22):

May15 winners
June8
July15
August9
September11

Total58

2019-20 season

May15 winners
June12
July6
August16
September13

Total62

Hughes became the first jump jockey based in the north to win the championship in 40 years when landing the title two seasons ago, having finished runner-up to Johnson in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

However, Hughes admitted his first title success was muted by the curtailing of the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is set on landing another championship so that it can be properly celebrated.

"It was a weird time for anybody that no one has ever experienced and hopefully we won't have to again. On a personal level, maybe the way it was all finished was a little deflating," he added.

Brian Hughes: received his trophy last time from Mick Fitzgerald during the Covid-19 pandemicCredit: John Grossick

"But on another level there were a lot of people losing their lives on a daily basis, so the jockeys' championship was fairly insignificant when we weren't racing. We had to put things into perspective."

Hughes will have plenty of ammunition to rely on through the winter as number one jockey for McCain as well as linking up with the likes of Nicky Richards, Brian Ellison and Charlie Longsdon as he aims to beat his career-best seasonal tally of 146 winners.

He said: "Donald had a handful of nice novice hurdlers that ran well throughout last year, some of them are staying hurdling and the others chasing. There's a lot of talented, young horses that if they stay in one piece that will do well. I'm lucky I get loads of rides from a lot of trainers, so it's all going good."

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