Wentworth keeps Richard Hughes on course for champion jockey title

It is a little less than six months since Richard Hughes left the British Horseracing Authority's offices in London with his hope of winning his first British jockeys' championship apparently reduced to dust. The BHA had upheld a 50-day riding ban for an offence in India, ruling him out of the first month of the season. "When I was in the taxi heading out of London," he said here , "I felt like I was doomed." The world looks very different through his window now. It has been a racing certainty for a month that Hughes will be the champion when the turf season concludes in early November, and what little doubt remained has vanished over the past few days. A six-timer on Wednesday and another winner on Thursday were followed by a double here, which included the success of Wentworth, the odds-on favourite, in the Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions Stakes. Wentworth took time to find his stride in the one-mile race, won in the past by such future champions as Shergar, Henbit, Shahrastani and Authorised. When he did reach finishing speed, though, it was more than enough to run down Chief Havoc and win by three-quarters of a length. "I'm spoilt on all these good horses," Hughes said as he moved to 140 winners for the season, 38 clear of the injured Ryan Moore. "I feel like I've earned it [the title] because I've worked my balls off this year, but I'm under no illusions. If Ryan wasn't injured, I probably wouldn't be in front of him, but that's probably neither here nor there." Richard Hannon, who trains Wentworth for John Magnier's Coolmore Stud syndicate, feels that the colt could be a 2,000 Guineas contender next year, and the son of Acclamation is now top-priced at 25-1 for the first Classic of 2013. Hughes, though, suggested after the race that 10 furlongs may be a more suitable trip. "He's a big, weak horse," Hughes said. "He looks big and strong, but it's deceiving, underneath it all he's a big baby. I said when I got off him [after he won] at York, only one more run [this season], and after today, he wouldn't take another one. He needs a winter now. "He was travelling lazily for nearly six furlongs in behind and it took me a while to get him out of that mould, but when I gave him a dig, he went and won his race in three strides. "I'm not sure if he's a Guineas horse, I'd think he'd be more of a French Derby type as he doesn't give you that electrifying speed. But saying that, he's very weak, so I wouldn't knock it on the head. He'll be a different horse in the spring." Hughes was beaten on his final ride as Scarf, ridden by Frankie Dettori for Godolphin, took the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup but, as he flew to Wolverhampton for six booked rides under the floodlights, Hughes was no doubt informed that Victor Chandler had decided to pay out on the title race. "He went odds on for the first time at the beginning of August," Charlie McCann, the firm's spokesman, said, "and looked the champion jockey-elect even before Ryan Moore suffered his latest injury. He is a worthy champion." Hughes will be back at Newbury on Saturday, when his five rides include Master Of War, one of the favourites in the feature race of the day, the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes. "He's got a big chance," Hughes said. "He's 3lb better off with Heavy Metal [who beat him by half a length] from the Richmond at Goodwood, and it was a good, solid run at Sandown last time. The form figures probably say he's one of the best in the race, but there won't be a length between the first three." The first leg of Hughes's double on the day came when Rule Book, who was tailed off in the Melrose Handicap at York last month, returned to winning form in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Handicap. Sent off at 7-1, he was always travelling well and Hughes had little trouble timing his winning run to win by a comfortable half-length. "The ground was a bit loose for him last time, and he had a bit of a dirty scope afterwards. He looks different class now," explained Hannon, with Hughes offering the view he would be one for the good staying Cup-type races next season.