Title-chasing Hughes springs into action

Irish jockey Richard Hughes moved to within two wins of Paul Hanagan in the jockeys' championship after striking at Nottingham this afternoon.

A rather desolate afternoon for Hughes was reinvigorated when Spring Secret - one of seven mounts for the 37-year-old at Colwick Park - obliged in division one of the B&M Installations Handicap.

Always prominent from just off the early pace set by Scarab and Final Verse, the Bryn Palling-trained gelding moved into a commanding position two furlongs out.

Club Tahiti (9-2 favourite) emerged a willing foe, but Hughes was in redoubtable mood and booted the 17-2 shot six lengths clear of the staying-on Harry Hunt at the line.

Hughes said: "That's a relief. The horse loved the ground, but it was hard work out there.

"You don't have to be on the best horse but you have to be on the one that goes on the ground."

Hanagan was not in action at Nottingham, but reports for eight rides at Kempton's twilight meeting on Wednesday evening.

Hughes is also in action at the Sunbury venue, where he gets the leg-up on six horses.

Although he will swerve the Breeders' Cup so as to fight it out at the final meeting of the season at Doncaster on Saturday, Hughes is prevented from competing on Friday as he will have reached his quota of nine meetings for a week.

Hanagan currently leads Hughes by 186 winners to 184.