Brian Hughes
AT 3.30am, Brian Hughes’ alarm clock issues a shrill start to his working day. Whether the champion jockey elect bounces out of bed with a spring in his step depends on how many falls he’s had the day before, he jokes, but the gruelling regime of a National Hunt jockey requires an iron will, something the likeable 36-year-old has pulsing through his veins.
Later this month, Brian will be crowned champion jump jockey for the second time, sealing the most successful season of his career. At the time of writing, the runaway leader has gained a titanic advantage of nearly 100 winners over his nearest rivals and he is on the cusp of surging past the 200-winner mark, a seasonal milestone reached only by Peter Scudamore, AP McCoy and Richard Johnson.
“I’ve had a lot more rides than anyone else and we’ve been busy from the start – this season has been brilliant, ” says North Yorkshire-based Brian. “But we’ve had a hell of an element of luck as well because both the horses and I
