Paul Hannagan: Hoping to be proved right at the double on Town Moor

It has been a great start to the 2011 season, and I have already rattled up more than a dozen winners in the opening fortnight.

Mind you, I’m very aware that the three-time former champion, Ryan Moore, is in sparkling form, with a winner from every three rides to date.

However, my aim is simply to have as many winners as possible in 2011 and for trainer Richard Fahey’s yard to have as successful a time as we can make it.

As for the jockeys’ championship, I will wait until the end of August and then see where we all are. I will not give up my title easily, but it is not the top priority.

I’m hoping for a good Saturday to follow on from the Craven meeting at Newmarket where I was thrilled to win the £150,000 Tattersalls Millions Three-Year-Old Sprint on Sir Reginald, which is owned by Channel 4 Racing pundit Jim McGrath and which won its maiden race at York last June.

Then Barefoot Lady, which finished the 2010 season as runner-up in the Coral Rockingham Stakes at York, won the Nell Gwyn Stakes for me. Discussions are now taking place about supplementing her for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas.

Evening meetings are under way, and tomorrow sees me taking in two fixtures in Yorkshire.

It is Ripon in the afternoon, followed by Doncaster later.

I think that I will do well to trouble the scorers at Ripon, but I have a couple of very decent chances on Town Moor.

The first is One Kool Dude in the maiden at 5.10pm. The colt made his debut at Beverley just over a week ago – and was beaten into second place by Richard Fahey stablemate Lily’s Angel.

Yours truly chose the wrong horse to ride that day! That race will have really brought him on, though, and I think he will be the one to beat tomorrow.

Then I’m on board Changing The Guard in a handicap at 7.20pm. Once again, I made the incorrect selection a week ago when this gelding was runner-up to Richard’s Ingleby Spirit at Pontefract. He will have come on for that, and will have a good chance.

Sunday is a welcome early season day off as there is no Flat racing in Britain, so it will be a relaxing day at home with Anna and our children Josh and Sam.

I am already looking forward to the Guineas Festival at Newmarket in a couple of weeks. Our stable’s top horse, Wootton Bassett, is only 50-50 to race in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, but Richard will give him every chance to make it in time.

Then it will not be long until we are racing at York. I was delighted last year not only to be champion jockey but also to be the leading rider at York Racecourse where I love having winners.

The first meeting of the season on Knavesmire is the Dante Festival next month. I was lucky enough to have two winners over the three days last year. Those were Johannes and Rose Blossom, who is still very much one of Richard’s stable stars.

She enjoyed two victories at York Races in 2010 and we will be hoping for similar successes.

The filly has been entered for the Duke of York Blue Square Stakes and so she could make her debut as a four-year-old on the first day of the festival.

With a month until York, my plans for the three other Group Two contests – the totesport Dante, totesport Middleton and Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup – are flexible.

One of the upsides of being champion jockey is that a wider range of trainers now consider me for rides in these big contests when Richard does not have a contender.

As each race has at least £100,000 in prize-money and points the way to the summer festivals, I hope to get good mounts.

Champion jockey Paul Hanagan has joined the Yorkshire Post as our new York Racecourse-sponsored columnist. Every Friday between now and the end of season on Knavesmire in October, the Malton-based rider will be sharing his thoughts on his best rides for the weekend.