Hughes retains top jockey title as rival chooses to ride abroad
IRELAND’S Richard Hughes will be crowned champion jockey for the third consecutive year after rival Ryan Moore confirmed he will not be riding again in Britain this year.
The 41-year-old has been chasing three-time champion Moore for much of the campaign after suffering a broken back during a fall at Meydan on Dubai World Cup night, an injury which sidelined him for the season’s opening weeks.
Moore has previously intimated the title is not his main priority, preferring to concentrate on competiting for major prizes around the world, and missed two booked rides at Lingfield yesterday through illness.
“It means more to me than Ryan but to be champion jockey for a third time is great,” he said. “It feels sweet after the doctor told me I could out for months when I was injured in Dubai.”