'Twitchy' Hughes as driven as ever as champion-to-be closes in on 200 winners

Brian Hughes admitted the failure of losing the jump jockeys' championship has driven him on in 2021-22 but a quiet spell has caused him to get "twitchy" about joining the ultra-select band of men to ride 200 winners in a season.

The runaway leader said finishing second last term hurt a lot and is refusing to allow complacency to set in, even though he started Thursday’s racing 88 winners clear of Sam Twiston-Davies at the top of the table.

Even with a commanding lead, he still rides every race "with the mentality that I'm five winners behind". A victory on Friday was his last until he registered his 188th winner at Wetherby on Thursday - a run that had him worried he may not emulate Sir Anthony McCoy, Richard Johnson and Peter Scudamore by reaching 200.

Brian Hughes: 'It would mean a lot as AP, Dicky and Peter Scudamore were brilliant jockeys'Credit: David Carr

"I'm getting a bit twitchy about it because we haven't got much racing in April," he said, speaking before his success. "There's 13 to go and you'd say, 'You'll do that easily', but it's not that straightforward. I've had a couple of days where I thought I'd have a winner or two and I've had a couple of seconds. I'm hoping it’s achievable – all I need is a day when I have three winners.

"It would mean a lot as AP, Dicky and Peter Scudamore were brilliant jockeys."

Reflecting on losing out to Harry Skelton in last season's title race, the 2019-20 champion added: "It hurt a lot last year to get beaten, I'm not ashamed to admit that. You've failed, haven't you? That's how I felt. I said to myself that I'm going to give it as much as I physically can this season. Coming off second best wasn’t a nice feeling.

"Every day this season I've gone out to every race with the mentality that I'm five winners behind, even when I go to Wetherby today. When you change your mindset and get complacent, you start doing things differently and I want to do everything consistently."

Hughes has passed Tom Scudamore this season to become the winningmost jump jockey still riding in Britain.

Speaking after giving five children on ponies a riding lesson at Kirklevington Riding Centre near Middlesbrough, an event organised by Great British Racing, he reflected: "The season doesn't seem real. But I've been lucky because Donald McCain's horses have been in such good form, he's had the most winners of anyone, more than the champion trainer.

Brian Hughes gave five children on ponies a riding lesson at Kirklevington Riding Centre near Middlesbrough - an event organised by Great British RacingCredit: David Carr

"He's had nearly 150 winners and I've ridden 99 of them. And Nicky Richards', Brian Ellison's and Charlie Longsdon's horses have been running well. I've ridden winners for 32 different trainers this season so I'm very lucky that a lot of people support me."

Hughes has had nearly 200 more rides than any other jump jockey in Britain in 2021-22 and does not envisage easing up.

Looking ahead to next season's championship, he said: "Every jockey will throw their hat in the ring but I'll still be committed to it. I'll carry on as long as trainers want me.

"I'm 37 in June but I feel I'm still riding as well as I can. When I feel I'm not riding that well I'll know, because I'm very self-critical. I know when I've done a bad job.

"My racing career has been a slow-burner, I didn't start riding over jumps until I was 20 or 21. And I'm lucky I don't really have a lot of weight problems."

Hughes did not ride at the Cheltenham Festival month but will be in the big-race spotlight at Ayr and Aintree over the next eight days.

"I didn't miss Cheltenham by choice, I didn't have any rides," he said. "Going down there to ride a 100-1 shot is like lining up in a Formula 1 race in a go-kart.

"But I ride for northern-based trainers and owners and they want to go to Ayr and Aintree. So these are important. It's going to be competitive but we think we’ve got horses with chances.

"Innisfree Lad would have an each-way chance in the Scottish National. I was third on him in the Borders National and he was third in the Eider."

Coral Scottish Grand National card and betting

Mackenberg and Gaelik Coast are among the horses he is looking forward to riding at Aintree but he resigned to watching the Randox Grand National itself from the sidelines.

Brian Hughes is looking forward to getting back on MackenbergCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"I've nothing in the National but I've had enough falls in the race to last me a lifetime!" he said.

"If a good ride came up I’d love it but what are the chances of that happening? No-one's going to get off a good horse."

Read more about Brian Hughes's drive for winners:

Brian Hughes reaches 100 wins for the season to set new record for the north

Brian Hughes breaks 150 winners for the first time after fantastic four-timer

'He'll ride anything - like AP' - agent determined to push Brian Hughes to 200

'He's absolutely obsessed by riding winners' - another treble for Brian Hughes

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