CHELTENHAM BREAKFAST: The jockey that deserves the acclaim from day three and the one which acquired away for Harry Redknapp

On Mar 14, 2025

Published: 08:30, 14 March 2025 | Updated: 11:33, 14 March 2025

Nothing is better than when good things happen to good people and that’s why it is crucial Brian Hughes gets due recognition for a long overdue winner at Cheltenham.

Hughes was a three-time Champion Jockey not so long ago, a man who would think nothing of leaving his home in Yorkshire to drive down for one ride in the West Country before returning home and then heading to Scotland the next day.

He’s vastly-experienced and hugely respected within the weighing room, someone prepared to go the extra mile for others. Ask him to describe himself, however, and he’d tell he’s greedy, obsessive and selfish, all in the pursuit of success.

No so long ago, Hughes could have had his biggest day in the sun and was set to partner Corach Rambler in the 2023 Randox Grand National but never got the leg up as Derex Fox – whom he was set to replace – declared himself fit to ride and galloped into history.

So to see Hughes, whose last success at Cheltenham had come aboard Mister Whittaker in 2018, guide Doddiethegreat to victory in the Pertemps Final – wearing silks made famous by the Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle – was a tremendous result.

During many past Festivals, Hughes has been at places such as Sedgefield, Huntingdon and other less glamourous outposts. His talent and determination has deserved a bigger stage. He deserved the acclaim for a typically astute ride on the galloping grey.

Nothing is better than when good things happen to good people and that’s why it is crucial Brian Hughes gets due recognition for a long overdue winner at Cheltenham

Hughes was a three-time Champion Jockey not so long ago, a man who would think nothing of leaving his home in Yorkshire to drive down for one ride in the West Country

Debate comes because people care about issues and the attendance figures – something we have mentioned in this space in recent days – have stoked the fires.

There is a groundswell of opinion that wants to look away from exorbitantly priced hotels and ridiculously priced train fares (a return from Liverpool to Cheltenham on Gold Cup day, a journey of 140 miles, taking close to three hours, will set you back £151.60) and concentrate on horses.

Depending on who you will listen to, the argument put forward is that there simply isn’t enough high class National Hunt stock to fill four days and that people are staying because of the lack of quality.

Really? We are in an era with Constitution Hill, State Man, Galopin Des Champs, Marine Nationale, Jonbon, Bob Olinger, Fact To File (this lad is a machine) and so many others, that’s without us even having the wonderful Sir Gino here this week.

If those who crab are stuck in the past and yearning for Denman, Kauto Star, Moscow Flyer, Big Bucks, Best Mate and so on, they will never have any kind of enjoyment. When you keep looking backwards, how are you supposed to move forwards?

All sports go through peaks and troughs but, in a decade or more, those who want to look back might appreciate this is actually a fabulous era. There are so many horses to be enjoyed – they are the kind you want to pay to see.

Fan favourite Constitution Hill fell during the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy during Day One of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

Racegoers and punters were shocked to have seen the favourite fall at the Festival

CALDWELL POTTER WINS IT

It was in Wednesday’s column, when I flagged up Caldwell Potter who won at 7/1 on Thursday. The column read:

There will be another day when Sir Alex Ferguson gets to properly celebrate and who is to say it won’t be tomorrow? Jango Baie, the horse who came from the clouds to land the Arkle, immediately made you think back to a race at Cheltenham last December.

Jango Baie beat Ferguson’s Caldwell Potter by clear daylight and that form is worth keeping in mind, as the grey – who cost £634,000 when Ferguson and his pals bought him in February 2024 – has been declared to run in the Jack Richards Novices Chase over two-and-a-half miles.

Will he be good enough? It’s impossible to say. But what can be stated with confidence is Paul Nicholls, the gelding’s trainer, has had this contest in mind since he ran at Windsor in January and when he a target in mind, he often goes close. Watch it with interest

A penny for Harry Redknapp’s thoughts. The lamentable display from Ballyburn in the Browns Advisory Chase enabled Lecky Watson to grind out a shock victory on Wednesday and it will not have done anything to rid Redknapp of the sense of what have been.

The Jukebox Man was going to be Ballyburn’s biggest challenger, following his fluent and precise victory in the Kauto Star Novices Chase on Boxing Day but a gallops injury led to him having surgery and ruling him out of the rest of the season.

Trainer Ben Pauling recently told Mail Sport that The Jukebox Man’s rehabilitation is going smoothly and he is adamant the gelding will win big prizes next winter. If he had been fit, though, he could – and probably would – have landed a huge pot this week. It’s the one that got away.

A penny for Harry Redknapp’s thoughts. The lamentable display from Ballyburn in the Browns Advisory Chase enabled Lecky Watson to grind out a shock victory on Wednesday

Breakfast best bet: It’s been a challenging week and while it might be madness, it’s time to be bold and put forward THE BIG WESTERNER as the paly for Gold Cup day.

This mare is trained by Henry de Bromhead and is favourite for the Albert Bartlett (320). Mail Sport was at Punchestown on the day she won over hurdles for the first time last November and de Bromhead had a telling glint in his eye that she was good. She’ll prove it here.