Champion Hughes ready tolaunchwintercampaign

BRIAN HUGHES is expecting his jump jockeys’ title defence to take off when winter hits and the new season begins in earnest.

Hughes won his first championship this April, chalking up 141 victories in a season which was prematurely ended by the coronavirus outbreak.

Already leading the table with 37 victories this season followingavictoryatPlumpton yesterday, Hughes will again be riding for several prolific Northern trainers throughout the jumps calendar.

Hughes has a slender lead over veteran rider Paddy Brennan, his one- time mentor at

Howard Johnson’s operation. Harry Cobden, stable jockey to Paul Nicholls, is third

“We’ve had an okay start, and it has been steady for the last month because the winter horses are not quite ready,” said the North Yorkshire jockey. “I’ve got all of Donald ( McCain’s) and Nicky’s ( Richards) to come – and I ride plenty for Brian Ellison, James Ewart and Keith Dalgleish – so I will have plenty of horses to go to war with.”

Hughes still expects his key challenger to be four- time champion Richard Johnson, whose chances of winning a fifth title last season were interrupted by a broken arm in January.

Johnson sits seventh in the table with 23 victories, but Hughes knows the real battle will begin shortly. He said: “It’s not going to be easy – because a lot of the other lads are a lot closer, but that is what sport is about. I’ve just got to keep my head down, keep safe, fit and healthy and simply try my best.”

■ Ghaiyyath, one of the highestrated horses in the world, has been retired to stud, Godolphin has announced.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, he won three Group Ones this year, including York’s Juddmonte International. He had been due to contest next month’s Breeders’ Cup in America.