5/4 hughes now with 563

moore got a rolllicking off stoute today .... livened him up a bit

no wonder he was being laid
put the hours in richard and yours

Ryan rode six winners on Wednesday but, as he explains, the life of a successful jockey shouldn't be about putting your body on the line in order to the win the title. Our man wants to focus on the big races...

The title race is not something jockeys talk about - certainly not at this stage of the season anyway - and, to be honest, I would rather not say anything about it.

But here is my take on it; it will be my one and only comment on it, though.

When I won the jockeys' title for the first time in 2006, my over-riding emotion was one of disappointment. That may be a touch too strong, but I certainly didn't feel a great sense of achievement.

It would be all too easy to say that I was proud and delighted to have captured the first of my three titles - and to a certain extent I was - but I didn't think I had earned it.

I rode 180 winners that year to take it by 49 from Frankie, but I don't think I did it against what I would call "the motivated best" who were going all out for it.

I was brought up with Frankie taking on Kieren, Dunwoody taking on Maguire, AP against all-comers; real intense sportsmen riding at the top of their game

But that year, besides Frankie - who I have said before was, and still is, the only one who could be compared to the best jockey of my riding career - we had Kieren and Johnny Murtagh spending most of their time in Ireland, and Jamie and Richard "only" managed 128 and 99 winners respectively.

People may say the fact that I was underwhelmed is simply a reflection of my character. But it was how I felt. I didn't feel that I had won a competitive contest against the best, and I certainly didn't think that I was at the pinnacle of my profession and my sport.

Did winning the title make me the best jockey riding?

No.

I was 50 or 60 clear and had it won in August. But whereas Frankie went over to ride in the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs at the end of the season and win on the likes of Red Rocks in the Turf, I was sat at home.

Would I rather have been second in the title race that year and won a million pound race against the best in the world in one of the highest profile meetings of the year?

Yes.

But you have to remember, at the time, I won the title as effectively second jockey to Richard Hannon (though I started riding for the boss from about July or August onwards, I seem to recall), so I didn't have those opportunities on the big stage then.

I got smashed up in 2007 and rode just 120-winners in the year that Jamie and Seb went at it hammer and tongs and finished the season with 190 apiece. And that battle was similar to the ones that Paul has had in recent seasons too, and come out on top.

Don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for those jockeys. All men at the top of their profession with an unbelievable drive. Anyone who puts in the amount of time and effort, allied to their ability, required to win the championship deserves everything they get.

But it isn't for me; being the best shouldn't be about a grind, day in, day out. And going for the title to that degree, pushing your body to the limit, can kill you off. Quite often it can take a jockey a season or so to recover from the exertion, just like a horse can take a year to gets its' form back after giving its' all in winning a race.

That's not for me. If winning the jockeys' title is now about pushing your body to the point of exhaustion, then you can rule me out.

Unless I have a retained ride and am required to be there, you will not find me riding at Kempton every Wednesday night and rushing off to Wolverhampton on Saturday night.

Never have, never will.

And besides draining yourself by doing that, you have to remember that I have a responsibility to my trainers and their owners in the big races. If I got banned for a big meeting when unnecessarily riding in a low-key race in the fortnight beforehand - or if I turned up for those big races not at my sharpest - then I would soon be told to sort myself out and get my priorities right.

And rightly so.

But I don't need to be told.

Don't get me wrong, I work hard. For example, I am pretty sure that I am among the top three jockeys in terms of rides this season and it was great to have six winners on Wednesday.

But I manage myself. I won't go riding in really poor value races all over the country simply for winners; I will take the day off if I can - like I did in King George week and this week, too, granted I also had a two-day ban yesterday and today - to recharge.

So that is why I find talk of the jockeys' title more than a little tiresome, as I am sure Richard does too.

Of course, it would be great to win it - and more so for other jockeys, if it is their first title - and I go all out to win every race I ride in. But jockeys want to be riding winners in the big races most of all; quality not quantity. Winning the big prizes.

I am certainly no Manchester City fan. But do you think Sergio Aguero would have swapped all his goals last season for just the one he scored in the final minute against QPR?

Of course, he would.

So those betting on the jockeys' title can rest assured that they will be getting a run for their money if they back me - my riding stats show that - and I would love to follow up my 2008 and 2009 wins.

But if I do so, it will be a bi-product of managing myself properly over the course of the season, and letting the winners take care of themselves.

People forget that horseracing is a team sport, and I have to do what is best not just for myself, but for trainers and owners too. And sometimes that involves sacrifices, and part of those sacrifices is foregoing potential winners when taking a necessary day off.

sweating like a blind lesbian in  a fish market

Moore walked away and looked fine, 6/4 on exchange is worrying though. Worst it will be is cracked ribs..

Personally I think that the bare statistics mean that Hughes will win this year, it's just about numbers and hughes will ride more than Moore..

Moore not riding at Kempton on Monday, was jocked up for 3, now ridden by Baker.
1 ride for Stoute tomorrow, then nothing till Thursday according to Sporting Life.

Sign of things to come or just taking a three day break?

Hughes putting in the legwork this week! Just a matter of time till he hits the front

only 7 behind at start of play today


and a couple of hot ones to follow


Jockey    Min Weight    Wins    Rides    Strike Rate    Level Stake    Win Prize    Total Prize
Ryan Moore    8-6    90    468    19%    18.46    £1,260,321    £2,046,729
Richard Hughes    8-6    83    418    20%    23.96    £686,213    £995,824
William Buick    8-3    73    406    18%    63.51    £1,380,446    £2,203,961
Paul Hanagan    7-12    63    408    15%    53.83    £630,376    £979,922
Jim Crowley    8-6    58    349    17%    +98.97    £406,214    £552,301
Silvestre De Sousa    7-12    58    486    12%    149.54    £431,787    £637,594
Joe Fanning    8-0    55    412    13%    61.24    £364,774    £476,356
James Doyle    8-7    54    315    17%    +96.75    £279,831    £506,228
Jamie Spencer    8-5    51    357    14%    83.96    £370,548    £688,605
Daniel Tudhope    8-9    48    274    18%    +43.95    £263,433    £367,718
Tom Queally    8-7    46    340    14%    84.61    £899,597    £1,194,666
Kieren Fallon    8-5    46    368    13%    94.58    £525,922    £804,414
Luke Morris    8-0    45    481    9%    163.52    £224,648    £368,892
Paul Mulrennan    8-7    43    376    11%    +17.93    £168,117    £280,074
Robert Winston    8-7    42    318    13%    15.29    £210,174    £325,976
Neil Callan    8-7    42    370    11%    65.91    £333,955    £537,117
Tom Eaves    8-6    37    418    9%    139.13    £126,809    £235,430
Hayley Turner    8-2    36    333    11%    33.83    £194,362    £349,510
Richard Kingscote    8-3    35    224    16%    +15.21    £175,773    £266,193
Chris Catlin    8-2    35    255    14%    46.55    £113,015    £186,533
Graham Lee    8-8    35    352    10%    32.26    £246,247    £394,361
George Baker    9-0    33    238    14%    29.89    £160,046    £268,948
Mickael Barzalona    8-1    32    214    15%    22.75    £151,292    £384,944
Frankie Dettori    8-5    32    236    14%    80.28    £509,490    £1,077,342
Graham Gibbons    8-3    31    269    12%    42.51    £130,037    £230,371
Martin Harley    8-4    31    288    11%    24.10    £161,157    £323,582
James Sullivan    7-12    30    317    9%    19.62    £143,017    £201,628
Frederik Tylicki    8-6    28    217    13%    53.42    £128,703    £184,805
Phillip Makin    8-6    28    304    9%    95.98    £144,012    £221,844
Raul Da Silva    7-9    27    185    15%    +49.16    £97,920    £120,730
Franny Norton    8-0    27    243    11%    +33.21    £152,337    £257,070
Dane O'Neill    8-9    27    310    9%    101.40    £116,903    £216,680
David Probert    8-0    26    274    9%    117.98    £147,155    £228,841
Tony Hamilton    8-8    26    280    9%    93.96    £212,459    £347,804
Andrea Atzeni    7-12    25    174    14%    +84.00    £125,752    £178,344
David Allan    8-6    25    284    9%    97.19    £152,630    £269,442
Ian Mongan    8-10    24    211    11%    63.49    £123,510    £211,343
Barry McHugh    8-4    24    227    11%    3.13    £85,591    £148,880
Ted Durcan    8-5    24    240    10%    78.82    £109,955    £468,424
P J McDonald    8-4    24    253    9%    41.50    £111,444    £191,253

just spoke to ryan.....hes taking a short break in the yorkshire dales but says hell be back thursday eve at sandown

'Ryan to win' How misguided. No chance.

Hughes only 4 behind and Moore off on holiday.... Doesnt take a genius to figure out what is going on...

3 now

HUGHES.........1.01 on here now

I think Moore made his feelings on the jocks Champ for this year quite clear a few wks ago on his betfair coloum, didnt he!!
I took a view from that, he was not really interested in winning it, and would not be riding ever day (& night) to do so.
Hughes on the other hand, is going all out to win it.
I bet Moore at 4s at the start, but was right on to Hughes at 7/4 on here after the Moore coloum.
NO sign of Moore (again) for most of this wk, which is sadly becoming the norm with Ryan over this past month?
I could be wrong in this, but it is coming over to me as a bit of a carve-up this year.
Sure (in my view) it was wrong that the crazy 50 days handed out to Hughes in India, was upheld here, but should that mean that our jocks let him win the jocks champ???
Its a gd job R Moore is not riding in the Olympics, because if he were, he would be thrown out for "not trying"

FFS

all the psot for today with updates have been removed ...

Any price for Hughes is buying money. But then I have been saying that for ages... Moore doesnt want to win. Buick wont get anywhere near enough rides. Easiest money I have ever won...

2/9 hughes ....bet 365

outoftheframe, your reasoning is flawed if Hughes is injured tomorroiw and in September

Moore decides to ride abroad the mere fact that the two leading jockeys are absent will

surely mean extra chances for Buick and he could easily ride 120+ winners if that scenario

occured, I sincerely hope it does not but it definitely could, best of luck.

Moore cant even be bothered to go and ride an even money favorite for his dad today...

ttt

Moore off again after another fall..

Even Matt Chapman said on TV last night Hughies will win this year. In previous years more than one jackey wanted to win. This year only one jockey 'wants' to win.

If this was a horse race the others would be busted for non trying!

In my eyes there is only 1 person that will win this year, i've not had a bet and now the price is too short. I agree that Hughes only gets beaten if he gets injured.

I also agree that Hughes wants nothing more than to be champion jockey after all the grief he has got from the BHA, they hate him and he really wants to rub it in thier face... Hughes wants to win and win well!...