Brian Hughes edges closer to 200 milestone as Rapaport scores for Toby Bulgin
Monday: Fakenham
Brian Hughes moved to within three victories of the 200 milestone for the season after landing the the 2m4f handicap hurdle on the Toby Bulgin-trained Rapaport.
Hughes, who will be crowned champion jockey after a sensational campaign, had five rides on the card, but was rewarded only once when steering the ten-year-old to victory.
Rapaport improved throughout, winning by 25 lengths after Equus Millar fell at the last, resulting in a first win in eight attempts under rules.
"I am amazed," said Bulgin. "I have been waiting for that for about six years. I bought her as a three-year-old and she won a point-to-point bumper.
"She has had lots of problems. She got stuck upside down in a horse box at a point-to-point and it’s made her difficult to train ever since.
"It all seemed to come right today and Jack Day, of Rossdales [vets], and Grainne Chaba-Byrne from Newmarket have done an amazing job on her. Grainne came out yesterday and gave her a full going over, and it has made all the difference.”
When asked about having the experience of a jockey like Hughes, Bulgin added: "He just said the two in front went too fast and he knew they would before the race.
"I thought he was going to hunt round and that would be it, but when he changed from the outside to the inside, you knew he had a plan."
Double for Scudamore
Tom Scudamore rode a 38-1 double headlined by Glimpse Of Gold in the 2m handicap hurdle.
It was an eighth win for the 11-year-old, with four of those coming over course and distance. Scudamore opened his account for the day when partnering the Gary Moore-trained Moulins Clermont in the 2m4f juvenile hurdle.
The four-year-old finished half a length ahead of odds-on favourite Forever William, ridden by Hughes.
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