Tired and relieved, Hanagan sets sights higher for next time around

Contentment for the newly-crowned champion jockey is sitting down with his four-year-old son Josh and watching endless reruns of Tom and Jerry's cartoon capers.

"I've been looking forward to this," revealed the unassuming 30-year-old as he reflected upon his extraordinary, and ultimately successful, quest to win an epic jockeys' title race.

"It doesn't get better than this. Apart from spending time with my family and going away, the other thing on my dream list is to get a first ride in the Epsom Derby – it's the race everybody in racing wants to ride in."

To understand the low-key response to one of the country's greatest sporting success stories in 2010 requires an understanding of this jockey's character – and the rigours of the past seven months.

Unlike so many high-profile competitors, Hanagan is uncomfortable in the limelight.

A modest man from a working class background – and a rider who never dreamed of winning the championship until his personal annus mirabilis – Hanagan's priorities are his family, he has two young sons, and making the most of his ability. His work ethic is simply to try his best. He is not one to talk up his chances.

Though fiercely determined, he always maintained that a jockeys' championship was out of his reach – only two other riders based in the North had landed Flat racing's ultimate reward for horsemanship in the past 104 years.

His assessment changed in the first weekend of the season at Doncaster in late March when he booted home a remarkable seven winners and set a blistering pace that ultimately proved too hot for household names and past champions like Frankie Dettori, Kieren Fallon and Ryan Moore.

Only the stylish Richard Hughes could live with the Malton rider – and he eventually fell two short after a struggle that reached its denouement at Doncaster on Saturday.

"I keep using the word but it's been tough," says Hanagan as he comes to terms with the magnificence of his achievement with the word which he used so frequently during 223 days and 1,119 rides that yielded 191 winners.

"I led from day one – I can't tell you how difficult that has been – and then worried that Richard would catch me on the line, and I'd let down everyone who has supported me.

"From the morning I woke up to the moment I fell asleep at night, it's been relentless. I couldn't escape it. The comments like 'Richard has another winner' or 'your lead is down to two', it was hard. It got to me."

As Hanagan studies his gleaming trophy – he has placed it near his television so he can admire it while looking after Josh and his youngest son, Sam, who will shortly be one – he recalls, with relief, the seminal hour in a campaign which spanned seven months.

It was as recent as last Thursday at the end of yet another gruelling day on the all-weather circuit; rides at Lingfield and then a nervous dash around the M25 in rush-hour for Kempton's evening meeting under floodlights.

Hanagan's spirits were low; the fixture schedule meant he spent the final week of the season "living out of a suitcase" in hotels while his family were 250 miles away in Yorkshire. He missed them and the worry in their voices did not help.

His spirits were even lower when Hughes booted back-to-back winners to narrow the gap to one. His worst fears, it seemed, were about to be realised. Hughes looked unbeatable.

"The next race was awful. Bad. I saw Richard pull clear with a furlong to go and thought he couldn't be beat. It would put us level," added Hanagan. "Yet he got caught on the line. Then the final race, it mattered so much. Either we would be level, or I'd be two clear again. I just went out and Condor gave me a lovely ride. Sheer relief."

After the penultimate day of the season proved to be equally compelling – Hanagan stretched his lead to four before Hughes struck back to halve the deficit – some observers contended that the final meeting, back at Doncaster where it all began, was anti-climactic because neither warrior won a race.

That assertion does not reflect the tension. The attention from journalists and racegoers, was relentless – both men could only relax when on the back of a horse. Even then, the stakes were immense. Hanagan found himself pre-occupied with his rival's riding until the sixth race when Hughes was unplaced.

Finally, it was all over.

"I had a bad draw, so tried to make all," said Hanagan.

"At least I knew where Richard was. He was on Senate, who I've won on. I thought he'd win.

"It was only when I crossed the line, and knew Richard was behind me, that I realised I had done it. It didn't sink in – it still hasn't.

"I'll never forget it. I could see my family – they were in a hospitality box going mad – and the first person to congratulate me was Richard Fahey, my boss. That was special.

"In the weighing room, I just hugged Richard; I just thanked him for being a true professional. A few days on, it's still unreal. All the messages of congratulations – I'm beginning to realise what I put everyone through."

Talk of defending the title – Hanagan is 3-1 second favourite behind Ryan Moore – is premature.

He does not intend returning to the saddle until February. He also says that a championship challenge cannot be foreseen. Either you are in contention, says Hanagan, or you concentrate on the quality of your rides as the season unfolds.

He is also not content with being champion jockey. Hanagan also wants to be remembered as a big race winner.

His higher-profile has already opened doors with Ed Dunlop, a top Newmarket trainer, who provided a St Leger ride.

He hopes to be in contention at the major meetings – and particularly the Epsom Derby – rather than plying his trade with journeymen jockeys on the 'gaffe' tracks.

And he has high hopes that Wootton Bassett, who provided Hanagan and Fahey with their first Group One success last month, can convert that form into Classic glory in next year's 2000 Guineas.

"That is next," says Hanagan, who became so pre-occupied with his title that he would invariably switch off the cartoons so he could watch a racing replay on television.

"The Epsom Derby is definitely on the dream list – the most famous race in the world – but right now I'll just settle for some quiet time at home with my wife Anna and my young boys. I've missed them and I owe it to them.

"Without them, I'd not be champion."

A champion jockey made in Yorkshire

AS the third Northern-based jockey to become champion in the past 105 years, Yorkshire racing is understandably proud of Paul Hanagan's history-making achievements.

This title was very much made in Yorkshire. The majority of Hanagan's winners were supplied by his Malton trainer Richard Fahey. As for the jockey, he rode a record 86 victories on the region's racecourses.

This is the highest number of successes achieved by a Flat rider on the county's courses, comfortably beating the 71 winners ridden by Kieren Fallon, the six-times champion, in 1996.

It is the fourth consecutive year Hanagan has been the top rider at Yorkshire's eight Flat venues; his winning score last year was just 42.

Brazilian-born Silvestre de Sousa, a Thirsk-based jockey, rode his 100th winner of the season on the final day at Doncaster on Saturday, finishing with a highly-creditable 64 winners locally – many of which were provided by David O'Meara, a rising star in the Malton training ranks.

Hanagan is the runaway winner of this year's Go Racing in Yorkshire riding award sponsored by Sky Bet. He will receive his trophy at a special celebration later this month where Fahey – the first person to congratulate Hanagan on winning the championship – will pick up the trainer's award.

Fahey recorded 66 winners in Yorkshire this season, four less than his record-breaking score of last year.

Fellow Malton trainer Tim Easterby was his closest rival with 44 winners, followed by Middleham-based Mark Johnston (himself an eight-times winner of this award, which began in 1995) with 41 successes. It is the third consecutive season Fahey has claimed the prize.

The only omission from the respective CVs of Fahey and Hanagan is a Classic winner – something that they hope to rectify next Spring with the brilliant colt Wootton Bassett.