Brian Hughes: 'The title hasn't changed me. I'm still riding the same way'

Brian Hughes insists his mind could not be further from the accolades falling his way despite a blistering start to 2021 that has bolstered his bid to be crowned champion jockey for the second successive year.

Hughes, who won the award for jump jockey of the year at the Lesters before Christmas, followed up a Musselburgh treble on New Year's Day with another treble at Catterick on Sunday to move on to 88 winners for the season, 16 ahead of his nearest rival Harry Cobden.

Hughes claimed his maiden jockeys' title last year after riding 141 winners from 714 runners. He was on pace to comfortably beat his previous best tally of 146 winners, set in 2018-19, but for the coronavirus pandemic shortening the season.

Jump jockeys' standings

But the humble Hughes is not one to dwell on his own success and says defending his title, rather than chasing it, has not altered his mindset.

"The title hasn't changed me at all. I still ride the same way I always have," he said. "It's nice to have people referring to you as a champion but to me I'm just a jockey. There is no additional pressure, I just try to do the job as best I can.

"I don't think of championships or whatever – when you have too much of that it can cloud your mind. Maybe you wouldn't make the right decisions and you'd be guilty of trying too hard."

Brian Hughes: 'All I want to think about is how best to ride each horse as they come'Credit: Edward Whitaker

He continued: "When I'm in a race all I want to think about is how can I win this race? Where is the best place to be? All I want to think about is how best to ride each horse as they come."

It is precisely that approach that has propelled the hard-working Hughes to the top of his profession, but he knows there are plenty of hungry jockeys crowding below him.

Alongside Cobden, Harry Skelton is enjoying a fine year while Richard Johnson and Sam Twiston-Davies have both surpassed a half-century of winners and all have their eye on Hughes at the head of the jockey standings.

"They are good jockeys having good seasons and riding plenty of winners. Their yards are in good form and sure they've thrown their hat in the ring for it," Hughes said.

"But I can only control what I do and I can't worry about what anyone else is doing. It's a mindset that hasn't served me badly up until now."

While Hughes has now surpassed Johnson as the busiest jump jockey in Britain, riding primarily in the north of England and Scotland has meant success at the top level has been harder to come by. His sole win at Grade 1 level came aboard Waiting Patiently in the Ascot Chase three years ago.

Hughes partnered the Ruth Jefferson-trained ten-year-old on his return from a lengthy absence when producing a superb run to finish second behind Frodon in the King George VI Chase over Christmas and he believes there is much more to come from the 167-rated chaser.

Hughes said: "Without trying to sound arrogant, it wasn't a huge surprise that he ran as well as he did in the King George. He's a different level to anything I've ever ridden.

Brian Hughes celebrates on Waiting Patiently after their Ascot Chase victory in 2018Credit: Steven Cargill

"The Grade 1s are hard to win. I've ridden some good horses that have just come up short but I believe he is good enough to win another Grade 1.

"Because I've only got one of that type of horse, you want him to be good so badly and I have an enormous amount of belief in him. He's been very tricky to train and Ruth has done a brilliant job."

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Waiting Patiently is now set for a third crack at the Ascot Chase next month before potentially tackling the Champion Chase or Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, and there is no hiding Hughes's excitement about the partnership.

He said: "To do what he did at Kempton after more than a year off with no prep run against some very good horses was great. Hopefully the wheels are still on and I believe he's heading for the Ascot Chase next. I wish it was tomorrow to be honest."

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