Paul Hanagan: Double accolade up for grabs in Knavesmire finale

It means a lot to be the top rider at my ‘home’ racecourse in Yorkshire – and I can also help my boss Richard Fahey to win a remarkable sixth consecutive HA Fox Jaguar Trainers’ Championship.

I will need a minimum of one winner to take over at the head of the leaderboard from Ryan Moore, my colleague who is on the comeback trail from injury and is hoping to be back in the saddle for next weekend’s Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Kieren Fallon, my closest challenger for this year’s national jockeys’ championship, and Frankie Dettori, are both one winner behind me.

It’s a much closer contest in the trainers’ championship. It’s a three-way Yorkshire-only tussle at the top between Richard Fahey, Kevin Ryan and Mick Easterby with nephew Tim lying one back. The title races will both be decided over the course of two days – Friday October 7 and Saturday 8 – when the curtain comes down on a memorable season of racing at Knavesmire.

I know Richard is determined to have plenty of runners – at least one in each of the 14 races – so it will be gripping stuff as the Yorkshire training yards do battle.

This afternoon, I am riding at Haydock Park where I reckon my best chance will come in the handicap race at 4.20pm on board Lordofthehouse. He’s trained by Yorkshireman William Haggas in Newmarket and comes into the race off two winning performances.

Before then, I have an interesting ride on Police Force for the in-form Godolphin stables. I am led to believe that he is not straightforward, but he was coming into some form when placed last month at Newmarket.

Tomorrow, at Newmarket, my first ride is in the Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes on board Miss Work Of Art who was second in a Group 3 at Ayr last weekend. She had run really well to finish runner-up in the big sales race at the Ebor Festival – the DBS Premier Yearling Stakes.

Harrison George goes for the Betfred Cambridgeshire at 3.50pm. He has been a regular in decent handicap races at York Racecourse this season, but in truth he has been a little disappointing when we had high expectations of him following his successful campaign as a five-year-old in 2010. My best two chances come later in the day.

Nemushka is a filly I like and she runs in the nursery race at 4.25pm. If I can get her to go forward properly, then she has a good chance. In the handicap race at 5.35pm, my mount is Tmamm, trained in Yorkshire by Mark Johnston. He won for the first time at the third attempt earlier this month, and is fancied to run a big race.

The final fixtures of the Flat season at York are on October 7 and 8. The second day features the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes and the Coral Sprint Trophy. Early bird special tickets are on sale - £12 (grandstand/paddock) and £22 (county stand) on Friday and £16 and £26 on Saturday. Visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk or call 01904 620911.