Northern Irish inspiration
A willingness to travel pays dividends
A decent win came on August 31, 2008 in the Weatherby's Bank Wensleydale Juvenile Novices' Hurdle on Resounding Glory for Richard Fahey. He beat old boss Howard Johnson's horse Silk Drum and picked up a cool £10,261.80.
His old boss Kevin Prendergast gave him the call to ride the talented Katie T in the 2015 BoyleSports Hurdle at Leopardstown and Hughes rewarded the loyalty with a two-length win from Modem for the 60,000 euros prize.
Hughes' first Grade One win came on February 17, 2018, on Waiting Patiently in the Betfair Ascot Chase (pictured). The win was an emotional one, coming only a day after the funeral of Malcolm Jefferson, who trained the horse before his daughter Ruth took over after his passing. Hughes pointed skywards after beating Cue Card in a poignant gesture of remembrance for Jefferson.
Success at the Cheltenham Festival
Hughes' second Cheltenham Festival win came in 2016 aboard the Ian Williams-trained Ballyalton in the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (pictured). Again, he beat a Paul Nicholls-trained horse into second place, driving his 12/1 chance to gain a hard-fought half-length victory over Bouvreuil.