Champion jockey Brian Hughes working hard in anticipation of National Hunt racing restarting

CHAMPION jockey Brian Hughes is back riding out – and counting down the days until the return of National Hunt racing.

The newly-crowned champion and his weighing-room colleagues have been sidelined since March 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Hughes is now back at work on the gallops in preparation for the intended return of National Hunt racing in July.

Meanwhile the British Horseracing Authority will announce on Monday whether there’s any possibility of Flat racing resuming later this month.

Hughes became the first Northern-based rider for 40 years to be crowned champion and was well clear of Richard Johnson, his closest rival, when the 2019-20 campaign was curtailed.

The North Yorkshire rider, who is an ambassador for sports betting and gaming operator VBET, said: “I’ve obviously been in lockdown for six weeks and didn’t leave the house.

“We live in the countryside, though, so it hasn’t been too bad to keep busy. Over the last few weeks, I’ve also been able to get back riding out again.

“I’ve also been able to maintain my fitness by running every morning and doing the programme that Danny Hague, from Jack Berry House, has set us out to keep me fit and relatively in shape.

“I’m really looking forward to July, when jumps racing will hopefully resume. It’s been the longest break I’ve ever had in my career, but, obviously, there’s greater things going on around the world. Hopefully everyone remains fit and healthy.”

Hughes, 34, has been overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages he has received from within racing and beyond for his accomplishment last season and is determined to prove that the title was not a one-off.

He added: “I’d just like to say thank-you for all your support the previous season.

“I can’t wait until the start of the jumps season – let’s hope we have a similar run of luck and I’m competitive in the championship.”

In other news, former Chester Cup hero Magic Circle will be in the care of Malton-based Richard Fahey this season after moving from Ian Williams.

The Dr Marwan Koukash-owned eight-year-old shot to prominence in the big handicap on the Roodee in 2018 and added the Group Three Henry II Stakes afterwards in emphatic fashion before being put away for a Melbourne Cup bid.

That was to end in disappointment as he finished down the field behind Cross Counter, with the Makfi gelding found to have burst a blood vessel during the race.

Explaining the switch, Koukash said: “It’s just a change of scenery. He’s in good shape and I was really looking forward to running him in the Chester Cup.

“He’s in really good form. Richard thinks a lot of him, he had fitness issues last year but he is back to his best and I was genuinely looking forward to seeing him run.”

On the decision to swerve the 2018 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, Koukash said: “We decided to save him and protect his handicap mark – had he gone to the Gold Cup and won it then you’d probably have no chance of winning the Melbourne Cup, as you’d carry a lot of weight as a result.

“So we decided to protect him and to me it was more important to try to win the Melbourne Cup than Gold Cup, with all due respect to the Gold Cup.”

Meanwhile, Koukash – who has such an affinity with Chester – hopes a resumption of racing in Britain is on the horizon. He said: “I think racing will be the first sport to come back, it has very limited contact and can easily be managed. I really hope we can see some action by the end of the month.”

Staff at a racing silks maker have provided hundreds of set of scrubs as a gift to the NHS.

Oxfordshire-based Allertons contacgfvted NHS Central after racing was suspended to see if they could use their skills to supply products to protect medical professionals.

South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust responded to their call and placed an order of 800 garments for its four hospitals – Warwick, Leamington Spa, Stratford, and Shipton-on-Stowe.

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