| Richard Hughes | |
| Occupation: | Racehorse trainer |
| Birth Place: | Dublin, Ireland |
| Birth Date: | 1973 1, df=yes |
| Career Wins: | 1828 (as of 31/12/12) |
| Race: | UK and Ireland Group 1 Races 1,000 Guineas, Cheveley Park Stakes, Coronation Stakes, Falmouth Stakes, Haydock Sprint Cup, July Cup, King's Stand Stakes, Lockinge Stakes (twice), Nassau Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes (twice), St. James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Irish 2,000 Guineas, Matron Stakes, Epsom Oaks |
| Awards: | British flat racing Champion Jockey 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Horses: | Canford Cliffs, Oasis Dream, Paco Boy, Sky Lantern |
|}|}Richard Hughes (born 11 January 1973) is a retired Irish jockey and current racehorse trainer who is based at Lambourn in Berkshire, England. Born in Dublin, he is the son of successful National Hunt trainer, Dessie Hughes. Hughes became British flat racing Champion Jockey in 2012[1] and retained that title in 2013, when he rode more than 200 winners in the season, and again in 2014.
Hughes started pony racing aged seven, having his first win aboard Chestnut Lady in a six furlong race at Wexford.[2] His first ride in the senior ranks was in a six furlong maiden at Naas on 19 March 1988, on a debutant called Scath Na Greine. He finished tenth.[2]
From 2001 to 2007, Hughes was the retained jockey for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah. For many years up to his retirement on 1 August 2015, his main provider of rides were trainers Richard Hannon Sr. (his own father-in-law) and Richard Hannon Jr. (his brother-in-law), who took over the Hannon stables from his father at the end of 2013.
Hughes is 5'10" in height, very tall for a flat jockey, similar to his contemporary jump jockey Tony McCoy; both men had to maintain their weight significantly below natural levels, even for a jockey. His larger natural size meant he could not ride horses carrying light weights, reducing his winning opportunities. Hughes was respected for his riding style of 'nursing' horses along, getting horses to respond and run into the race without appearing to physically ride them hard.
In October 2011, Hughes received a five-day ban for hitting Swift Blade six times in the final furlong and a few days later got a ten-day ban for hitting More Than Words too many times with the whip inside the final furlong in a race at Kempton.[3] The ban was the first of its kind to be implemented after a change in the rules regarding horse welfare. On 13 October 2011, it was announced that Hughes was giving up his racing licence and quitting the sport out of protest at the ban.[4]
Hughes did not follow up on this threat and on 15 October 2012 he equaled Frankie Dettori's record of winning seven races in a single meeting by winning seven out of eight races at Windsor Racecourse.[5] [6] [7]
The following month, he claimed his first British flat racing Champion Jockey title with 172 winners over the season.[8] [9] [10]
In May 2013, after a long wait, he won his first British Classic on Sky Lantern in the 1,000 Guineas. He then won his second a month later on Talent in the Oaks. On 21 June 2013, he won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on 1000 Guineas winner Sky Lantern.
At the end of the 2013 British flat racing Hughes was crowned Champion Jockey for the second consecutive season. His total of 208 winners made him the first jockey to ride more than 200 winners in a British flat season since Kieren Fallon in 2003.[11] He retained the title again in 2014, before retiring mid-way through the following season and taking up training.[12]
Hughes is married to wife Lizzie and the couple have two sons and a daughter. Outside of racing he enjoys playing a lot of golf.
Great Britain
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France
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India
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Ireland
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Italy
---- United Arab Emirates
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United States