Brian Hughes

Welcome to our profile of 2019-20 National Hunt Champion jockey Brian Hughes.

Northern Irish jockey Brian Hughes, who competes in National Hunt racing, was born on June 27, 1985. With 141 victories, Hughes won the 2019–20 British Jump Racing Champion Jockey title.

Since Jonjo O’Neill won the championship in 1980, Hughes, who is from County Armagh but resides in Northern England, is the first champion jockey from the region.

In our Brian Hughes guide we provide you with recent forms, the latest rides and the history of the male horse racing jockey.

Find out more about Brian Hughes

Key Stats of Brian Hughes

• Name – Brian Hughes
• Date of Birth – 27 June 1985
• Birthplace – County Armagh
• Riding Weight – 9st 13lbs
• Big Wins: Ascot Chase, Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase, Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, Many Clouds Chase, Summit Juvenile Hurdle, Old Roan Chase, Dipper Novices’ Chase, Red Rum Handicap Chase, River Don Novices’ Hurdle, Cleeve Hurdle, Topham Chase and countless other leading jump races.
• Nationality – Northern Irish
• Age – 38 years old
• Wife – Lucy Hughes
• Networth – Around $ 500,000 – $ 1 million
• Height – 1.71m

Brian Hughes Booked Rides

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Brian Hughes Recent Form

Here are all of Brian Hughes’s recent finishing positions.

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Jockey Profile – Jumps Jockey B Hughes

Hughes wanted to become a flat race jockey during his teenage years and attended the Irish Turf Club’s racing academy.

He spent four years with Irish trainer Kevin Prendergast before weight issues forced him to switch to jump racing.

He gained valuable experience with James Lambe before moving to England in 2005.

Hughes won the Champion Conditional Jockeys’ Title in 2007-08 and years of hard graft earned their reward when reaching the pinnacle of his sport in 2019-20.

Brian Hughes – Key Jockey Stats

After recording his first century of winners in a calendar year in 2014-15, Hughes has become mister consistency.

In 2019-20, Hughes became the first jockey based in the north of England to win the Champion jump jockeys’ title since Jonjo O’Neill in 1980.

He rode 141 winners in a season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, finishing 19 ahead of four-time champion Richard Johnson.

He is now chasing an eighth successive century as he bids to reclaim his title from Harry Skelton.

Brian Hughes – Big Race Wins

The first Grade 2 success for Hughes came with Alfie Flits in the Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock in 2009.

The following year he rode the talented Tidal Bay to victory in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham and won two of Aintree’s major handicaps over the Grand National fences. He won the Topham Chase on course specialist Always Waining and the Grand Sefton aboard Frankie Figg.

He gained his first Cheltenham Festival winner aboard 33-1 shot Hawk High in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle in 2014.

In 2016 he won the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase on Ballyalton for Ian Williams, repeating the feat two years’ later aboard Mick Channon’s Mister Whitaker.

His more recent big race wins include the 2020 Many Clouds Chase on 16-1 outsider Lake View Lad and the 2019 Summit Juvenile Hurdle riding Navajo Pass.

Brian Hughes – Most Famous Victories

The victory of Waiting Patiently in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in February 2018 will always be fondly remembered by Hughes. It was a very emotional day for all concerned, coming the day after the funeral of the horse’s trainer Malcolm with daughter Ruth having taken over the licence. Waiting Patiently defeated two-time race winner Cue Card to extend his winning sequence over fences to six.

Always Waining was one of those freakish horses who only seemed to come good in one race each season. He won the Topham for three successive seasons for trainer Peter Bowen. The second of those victories was under Brian Hughes, storming to a 12 lengths win at odds of 22-1.

Brian Hughes Rides

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Summary of Jumps Jockey Brian Hughes

Brian Hughes has a reputation for being one of the hardest-working jockeys in the game.

He revelled in winning the champion jockeys’ title and will be leaving no stone unturned in trying to recapture his crown.

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