Frustrating day for Hughes in title battle

RICHARD Hughes was forced to endure a highly frustrating day yesterday in his quest to catch Paul Hanagan in the race for the jockeys’ championship.

Starting proceedings three behind the long-time leader, Hughes travelled to Nottingham in the afternoon for seven rides, making just Spring Secret count in the B&M Installations Handicap to reduce the arrears.

While Hanagan was not in action at a murky Colwick Park, the pair were due to go head-to-head under the floodlights at Kempton in the evening.

However, adverse weather conditions forced helicopter problems for Hughes and he failed to make it Sunbury for any of his six booked rides, having been left with an ultimately futile bid to travel by road.

The only consolation for Hughes was that none of his intended mounts got home in front, and Hanagan never really looked like extending his lead.

The title race continues tomorrow at Lingfield and Kempton, with Hanagan and Hughes in action at both venues. Hanagan will start the day on 186 winners to Hughes on 184.

Hughes had originally been precluded from riding on Friday as he would have completed his quota of nine meetings for the seven-day period from Saturday under the British Horseracing Authority-imposed threshold.

Events culminate at Doncaster on Saturday, where Hughes foregoes the big ride on Paco Boy at the Breeders’ Cup in America to give himself every chance of overhauling Hanagan in South Yorkshire.