BRIAN Hughes has enjoyed the sort of purple patch that many in the weigh room experience only in their dreams.

The talented Irishman rode a fine, sympathetic race on Sandy Thomson’s The Dutchman in the novices’ chase at Wetherby on Saturday, nursing him home by a neck from Vendor.

Thomson will step him up from two miles.

Hughes went on to complete a treble on Lough Salt and Wells De Lune but at Musselburgh on Monday he eclipsed that by landing a magnificent five-timer paying 899/1. He won the first four races on Mired, Thankyou Very Much, Mondlicht and Blue Kascade, plus the last on Smart Ruler. He was also second in the other two races and by close of play had won on 20 of his last 57 rides.

Modest to a fault, he passed much of the credit to his agent Richard Hales.

Lording it

BACK in the spring, all the talk was of David O’Meara’s Lord Of The Land in the Lincoln. He beat three that day and ran another seven times without success but now, having found the polytrack much to his liking, he is unbeaten in three and on Saturday won the Listed Betway Golden Rose Stakes by three-quarters of a length from Mythmaker.

Sent off at 2/1 favourite, he came to master the runner-up close home but was dismounted by James Doyle, having pulled up feelingly.

The other listed event, the Betway Churchill Stakes, went to Godolphin’s Team Talk at 6/1. Even-money favourite Grendisar was disappointing for once the winning jockey was Sean Levey.