Hughes rides seven winners in Windsor - By Tom Krish
Posted on - 17 Oct 2012
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The total prize money that Richard Hughes earned with his history-making seven-timer at Windsor on Monday was 22,703 pounds. The jockey's take of this amount is about seven per cent. Run of the mill races carry low purses. The financial rewards are not hefty but the prestige that goes with riding seven winners in eight rides is an achievement of enormous proportions. The fact must be borne in mind that only one rider, other than Richard Hughes, has had seven winners in a card. That is none other than the ebullient Frankie Dettori. The Italian retains his magic touch and his start-to-finish win on Joshua Tree in Sunday's Pattison Canadian International at Woodbine has come in for world-wide praise.
I had a word with Richard Hughes as he returned to the unsaddling enclosure after winning the opener. We exchanged pleasantries. It has been a remarkable year for the 39 year-old Hughes. A ban that covered the entire month of April put Hughes at a considerable disadvantage but only motivated him to ride harder and winners came at a frenetic pace. He has 164 winners from 790 rides. That gives Hughes a 20.76% strike rate. The champion jockey-elect rides at Leicester Tuesday afternoon.
The eight-race Windsor card began (going soft and heavy in places) with Pivotal Movement, the 13/8 favorite and a Richard Hannon trainee, landing the opener. Pivotal Movement raced prominently and hit the front a furlong and a half out in the six-furlong contest for maidens. That was win number one for Hughes.
Fast Texas Red was the lukewarm 11/4 favorite in the second race, a nursery over one mile and one half furlong. Always in the vanguard, Fast Texas Red, another Richard Hannon student, came through to take charge inside the last furlong to win by a length and three quarters. That was win number two for jockey Hughes.
Windsor is a post card-perfect course. Many a time, I have taken a train from Paddington station in London. Alight at Slough and take another train for a five-minute journey to Windsor. There is a short uphill walk to the boat that takes ten to fifteen minutes to get to the course. You get off the boat and go left. Walk for less than a minute and you are at the main entrance to Windsor racecourse.
Then came the third race. It was a maiden stakes over a mile and one half furlong. Silvestre De Sousa was aboard Bishop's Castle, a Mark Johnston-trained runner, who was the 5/6 favorite. The sky was overcast. Big drops of rain sent the sparse crowd scurrying for shelter. Bishop's Castle showed the way and Ryan Moore, on Surreal, would not let Silvestre get away. Tracking the top two was Embankment, a Richard Hughes mount. Surreal got the better of Bishop's Castle a furlong out and Embankment, in the three path, came roaring. The Khalid Abdullah-owned and Amanda Perrett-trained Embankment got up to win by a neck. That was win number three for Richard Hughes. A 7/1 chance, Embankment, by Zamindar out of Esplanade by Danehill, was seventh of 14 with Pat Dobbs in his debut. The Monday win came in Embankment's second career outing and thanks to Hughes' winning touch. It was ironic in that Hughes, at one time, was the stable jockey for Khalid Abdullah. A loss on Home Affairs in the Diomed Stakes on Derby Day at Epsom caused the ending of the Abdullah-Hughes partnership.
The fourth race was a handicap over six furlongs. Magic Secret, hailing from Jeremy Gask's yard, was the 4/1 public choice. It was a no contest. Richard Hughes and Magic Secret won by five lengths. It turned out to be the easiest victory for the champion rider. That was win number four for Hughes.
Links Drive Lady, in the fifth, gave Hughes his fifth consecutive winner of the afternoon. The Dean Ivory trainee scored by three parts of the length as the 5/2 favorite in a six-furlong handicap. Links Drive Lady made it a hat trick. That was win number five for Hughes.
In the sixth, Hughes was again aboard the favorite, Ever Fortune. Valley Queen and David Probert edged out Heezararity and Silvestre De Sousa as Ever Fortune was four and one half lengths away in third. It was a handicap over one mile and one half furlong.
The seventh race came along. The Hughes juggernaut was in evidence again. Duke Of Clarence, a Verglas colt, was the 7/4 favorite. Trained by Richard Hannon, Duke Of Clarence settled fourth in the mile and a quarter handicap. He was pushed to lead a furlong out and was joined by Sheila's Buddy. It was a ding dong battle and Hughes and the Duke prevailed by one half length. That was the third consecutive win for Duke Of Clarence. That was the sixth winner for jockey Hughes.
Ryan Moore was scheduled to ride Mama Quilla in the 5 40 finale. Moore had ridden at Woodbine in Toronto on Sunday. Realizing that Hughes had a chance to make history, Moore gave up his mount to Hughes. Trained by William Haggas, Mama Quilla, the 15/8 favorite, galloped on resolutely when threatened to win the one mile three and one half furlong handicap by two and one quarter lengths. It was victory number seven for Richard Hughes.
"I'm over the moon," Hughes exulted. "I thought I'd have a good day but seven is unbelievable. Windsor is my favorite track. I must say that without Richard Hannon, I would not be doing any of it. Ryan (Moore) is a great friend. That is what friends do. I got his mount."
The bookmakers were happy that the Hughes seven-timer happened on a relatively quiet Monday at Windsor. The big firms reported losses but none of them suffered massive damage.
On Wednesday, the afternoon meeting at Newcastle has been abandoned. There is a meeting at Leicester. There is a special race day at the Curragh in Dublin. Huntingdon has a jumps card. Wolverhampton has a twilight card that gets under way at 5 20 PM.
About 12 30 PM Tuesday, I managed to reach Hughes by phone. "Yes, Windsor is my favorite course. May be, I have had ten per cent of my winners there," Richard began.
"When the course is soft, you do not know what to expect. The first two winners gave me confidence. Then on, it was added confidence that helped me and I had the horses that handled the going," Hughes continued.
"Ryan had to wait an hour and a half for his ride in the eighth race and he was tired after his flight from Canada. He said that I could take his place," Hughes said explaining how he substituted for Ryan Moore on Mama Quilla, the winner of the eighth and final race.
"It has been a great year. I had thought I would have a good day Monday but getting seven is unbelievable," Richard said.
I asked about the possibility of another stint in India. He mentioned Jacqueline Smile's recent Poona win. "I will be not coming to India full time. There have been contacts though. I am sure I will be in India to ride in the big races," Richard averred.
Frankel's main opposition will come from Cirrus des Aigles in Saturday's Champion Stakes at Ascot. Frankel is 1/7 in the market. There is a press conference Thursday morning in Newmarket on Frankel and Ascot's Champions' Day. I plan to attend.
There has been rain every day. The going on Saturday will be soft, according to a press release from Ascot Racecourse.
