IT is difficult to believe that, after today, we will not see Richard Hughes riding again.

Strange to lose the champion National Hunt jockey and the champion flat jockey in the space of three months. With A.P., we had two and a half months to get used to the idea. With Richard Hughes, while we knew it was coming, we have only known for a few weeks now that it was coming today. We haven’t really had a chance to get used to the notion.

As with A.P., it is great that Hughes is retiring on his own terms, going out at the top. If he had wanted to be champion jockey this season, you feel that he would have been. The parallels continue.

It is Hughes’ choice, you can tell by him, by his interviews, not just by what he says but by how he says it, that he is bursting to go training racehorses now. It would be amazing if he didn’t succeed.

Best Richard Hughes ride? It’s a tough one, there are so many. Maybe a toss up between Cockney Lad in the 1997 Irish Champion Hurdle and Sole Power in the 2014 Nunthorpe Stakes.