The Champion Jockey has decided to call it a day early and will take his last ride at Goodwood in a couple of weeks. For me, he's been abysmal this season and it's about time he knocked it on the head. I certainly wouldn't call him one of the great jockeys or anything like that but his reputation in my eyes is diminishing day on day because his lack of effort and drive in the saddle this season has been rather embarrassing.
Hughes will go down as a very good jockey, but not a great. I think his lack of passion for riding is evident with the way he's just gonna call it a day mid season. He clearly can't be bothered with the daily grind anymore
And the way he's starved himself throughout his entire working life? What nonsense. Everyone is entitled to voice their own opinion about jockeys - though I suspect most punters are incapable of objectivity. However, to accuse any of these guys of a lack of commitment elevates armchair sportsmanship to new levels of idiocy.
I don't agree at all Archers. No ones talking about his career as a whole BUT merely this seasons performances and seeming lack of desire. That's a very fair point to make whether you agree or not. Whether it's factually correct or otherwise is a different matter that none of us other than the jockey himself can definitely state. However, if throwing in the towel earlier than originally intended is any indication, we may be on Hughes' wavelength. For me, his performance in the saddle this season has been terrible and it does a disservice to his stable, his owners, punters and fans of the sport in general.
The only idiot is you, as you have completely misinterpreted my post. I was talking about his lack of passion for riding now, not throughout his whole career. His intentions where to retire at the end of the season, so the fact he's moved that forward without any real reason suggests he's had enough and doesn't have the desire to do it anymore. So I was not questioning his passion throughout his career, I was just suggesting that this season that passion has clearly dried up. Which happens to a lot of top sportsman, and is pretty normal
I think this is a pretty spot on assessment, its quite clear that it doesn't mean as much to him now and he's said himself that his career as a trainer is more important to him.
I think Hughesie has had enough. A very good jockey, who had his big successes late in his riding life. I wish him the very best of luck with his new career. His old Dad was some rider too!
Has he retired?!? Surely, it’s more accurately a case of him switching jobs/careers. I think old boy, Swanny, has hit the nail on the head here. It looks a case of him simply having had enough (I’m not starting a rumour that his ‘bottle’ has gone. No, I say, no) and wanting to try something else. Won’t go down as a great in my book and in my opinion was always a confidence jockey in that when things were going well, for him, he was decent but when the opposite applied he looked pretty average.
Once you've made a decision to go in another direction it's difficult to remain on your current course. This man has had his demons, yet beaten them and been a winner, he's one of us. To be champion jockey is no mean feat and to have won it several times takes some doing. He's also one of the more intelligent jockeys and I'll miss him. Goodness knows what it must feel like to be eternally hungry, yet use that hunger to drive you on. Good luck to him as a trainer.
Spot on assessment Bustino. I can't go hungry for more than a couple of hours without become a right grouchy bastard.
Starving yourself is only difficult when you first start doing it, but after about 3-4 weeks your body gets used to it, and it doesn't bother you so much. I've had my body fat at 7% before which is very very low
Oh ****ing hell, even if that is true don't you realise that every person is different and some have to work so much harder than other for that elusive couple of pounds? Next you'll be telling us you've done the Tour de France in 2 weeks instead of 3 and climbed Everest in a Kangaroo costume. In all seriousness, it is well and truly ****ing well documented that jockeys have a miserable life, permanently starving themselves to make the weight, and you have the bare-faced cheek to come on here and say they are just a bunch of whinging twats the mind really does boggle
I have never said they are a bunch of whinging twats, or anything of the sort, all I have said is it doesn't bother you so much once your body becomes used to it. It is by no means easy but when your determined to reach a goal you will. When I was doing it my goal was to have as good a looking physique as I could get, after working out for years in the gym. So I got over the hunger pretty quickly
