MANY congratulations to north Yorkshire-based Brian Hughes on being crowned champion National Hunt jockey in Britain for the third time at Sandown last Saturday.

Once again, Newtownhamilton-born Hughes had a very busy season as his 165 wins came from 875 rides; 81 of those winners were trained by Donald McCain. Only two other jockeys broke the 100-win barrier, Sean Bowen (125) and Harry Cobden (117). Hughes and Bowen both rode winners at Warwick on Monday as the 2023/24 season commenced.

Also based in the north of England, Danny McMenamin partnered 42 winners from 319 rides last season while fellow Downpatrick-born Caoilin Quinn, who joined the Gary Moore yard as a conditional jockey last summer, rode 25 winners from 209 rides. McMenamin had one ride at the Punchestown Festival, finishing second in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) on Affordable Fury who is trained by Noel Meade for Philip Polly.

That three-mile race was won by Gaelic Warrior, one of the many winners who helped Willie Mullins land his 17th NH trainers’ title in Ireland and one of the many he sourced with northern bloodstock agent Harold Kirk.

Moore lives dream with Visualisation

DOWN Royal chief executive Emma Meehan had to get someone to stand in for John Millar at Monday’s meeting as he was heading down to The Curragh where his Joseph O’Brien-trained Visualisation won the Group 2 Coolmore Stud Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes.

“This is the best horse I’ve ever owned and is the first flat horse I’ve owned,” said John, who was accompanied to the meeting by his good friend Willie McClelland from Doagh.

“Towards the end of 2021, I was going to the sales to buy a horse when I heard this fellow was available. I got to know Joseph well during his days as a jockey so I rang him and asked if I should take a punt on the horse and he advised me to do so.

“He ran four times for me last year, each time at the Curragh, and finished third in a Group 2 race in early May. Unfortunately, when he ran in a Group 3 at the end of June, he got jarred up on the good ground and was off until running in a listed race at Naas in March which he won. He then finished second in a Group 3 at the Curragh last month before coming out again and winning on Monday.

“Joseph was talking about running the horse in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, which is a Group 1, at the Curragh at the end of the month but it will all depend on the ground. If it dries up here, we might go to Germany. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Joseph and his team for giving me this success with Visualisation and also his regular jockey, Declan McDonogh.”

Tightens girths

John started working at Down Royal 30 years ago when he was asked to steward one of the hurdles for a meeting. He now drives the vet on duty to the start where he tightens girths before driving the vet around the track after the field. He also runs a courier business doing much of the travelling over to England and back himself.

He races pigeons as well as horses and, next week, will meet up with his farming friends one day at Balmoral Show (where the racehorse to riding horse class is on at 5.45pm in the Main Arena on Thursday) and will also spend one day at the North West 200.