RICHARD HUGHES'S agent yesterday stressed that the jockey's decision to ride full-time over jumps this winter does not signal the end of his Flat career.
Though the Irishman has enjoyed considerable success on the level since he moved to Britain his weight problems have led to continual suggestions of a switch to National Hunt racing.
But his agent Peter Harris said: "There is no question of Richard abandoning the Flat and we wouldn't want to give that impression at all. From a financial point of view there is not the same kind of money in jump racing. Richard has been going abroad to ride in Group races on a Sunday and you can make more out of that than a jump jockey earns in a month.
"His height does not make it easy for him but, at the moment, his weight is okay and he has five rides on the all-weather at Lingfield on Friday. But those will be his last rides on the Flat this winter unless he rides in the Wulfrun Stakes at Wolverhampton which he won last year on Prince of Andros. David Loder has Nijo and Bin Rosie in the race.
Harris stressed that Hughes, son of Champion Hurdle-winning rider-turned-trainer Dessie, was motivated simply by a passion for the National Hunt game. "He loves jump racing and is really looking forward to it," he said. "Remember, he rode at the Cheltenham Festival last year and he has been schooling for Richard Hannon and Charlie Egerton.
"We don't expect people suddenly to drop their jockeys and think that Richard is the best hurdles rider since Jimmy Uttley. But Martin Pipe has said he will definitely use him. Richard rode Golden Arrow to win for him on the Flat at Warwick, when many people said it was one of the rides of the year.
"And Richard is looking forward to riding his father's stable star Guest Performance over hurdles, having won on him on the Flat at Clonmel a fortnight ago. I am looking for something decent for this weekend, otherwise Richard will probably have his first ride over jumps next week."
Hughes rode 61 winners on the Flat in Britain this summer and gained his richest victory when Bahamian Knight landed the Italian Derby in May.
The steeplechase course at Tipperary is unfit for racing and the two chases have been omitted from the meeting scheduled for tomorrow week. Two of the remaining races will be divided to form a seven-race card if sufficient declarations are received.
The Tipperary Racecourse Chase (Grade 3) has been transferred to Clonmel on Sunday, November 24th. Entries for that race and the rest of the Clonmel meeting will close on Monday, November 18th.
Jonjo O'Neill experienced mixed fortunes at Sedgefield yesterday as he celebrated his fifth training success of the season but then watched his progressive six-year-old Uncle Keeny break down when odds on to open his steeplechasing account and apparently going like a winner.
The former dual champion jockey was all smiles as he greeted Ivy House and Mark Dwyer following their emphatic victory in the long distance Dick Brewitt Memorial Handicap Chase.
