Brian Hughes speeds to century mark in personal-best time

Bangor double comes for Donald McCain, with Maximilian looking particularly exciting.

Brian Hughes hit the 100-winner milestone for the National Hunt season with a double for Donald McCain at Bangor.

The champion jockey had a busy and fruitful summer, racking up successes throughout the warmer months and closing in on the 100 figure as autumn began.

A quieter spell followed, but at Bangor Hughes partnered both Nayati and Maximilian to impressive triumphs – getting to a century just under two weeks earlier than last season, when he went on to become only the fourth jumps rider to reach 200 winners.

“To reach 100 winners, and to do it earlier than last season, feels good. I had a great summer and September also went quite well,” he told Great British Racing.

“I got to 80 winners by the end of September so I thought I may have reached it in October, but we’ve had some steady weeks probably because of the quicker ground at this time of year.

“It’s been a good start so no complaints, we’ve still got a lot a horses to run so plenty of opportunities.”

Of his chances of securing a fourth championship, Hughes said: “This summer’s been nip and tuck with myself and Sean Bowen and I’m lucky that I’ve now got a bit of a cushion, but it’s not a forgone conclusion yet. I need to keep my head down and work hard and keep improving.

“I always want to improve, I always want to be making progress, last season could take some beating, but we’ll give it a go. The yard is flying and we’ve got a lot of winter horses, we’ve not quite scratched the surface of what we’ve got yet, but we’ve got a good team and the yard is going from strength to strength.”

Maximilian looked particularly promising when landing the GBR Everyone’s Turf Novices’ Hurdle at 5-2, striding ahead to cross the line as much as nine and a half lengths ahead of a field of well-rated chasers who still hold novice status over hurdles.

“He’s a fair horse, he has to be,” Hughes said to Sky Sports Racing of the chestnut.

“They’re all good-level chasers, there’s three of them on nearly 140 and one on 148. We’re giving them 6lb, I thought we’d win turning in and then he quickened past the second horse.

“He’s still babyish. He doesn’t overexert himself at home which is a good sign. He just does what you ask him to.

“He’ll be a lovely staying chaser one day, hopefully he’ll win a nice hurdling prize before we get there.”

McCain holds the horse in similar regard and added: “We do like him, we’ve always liked him. We could certainly have found an easier contest, they’ve jumped off and gone a good gallop and tried to find us out but we might have a fair one here.

“He’s got a slightly crossover pedigree (by German sire Adlerflug), there’s a little bit of a quality Flat horse about him. He’s just a grand horse, we’re all very fond of him and it’s nice to have a couple of horses to talk about.”

Of Hughes’ century milestone the trainer also said: “He’s working as hard as ever and it’s thoroughly deserved.”

Also enjoying a double on the card were Dan and Harry Skelton, who combined to win both the Listed Yorton Stallions Mares’ Novices’ Chase and the Paul Ferguson Jumpers To Follow Handicap Chase with Galia Des Liteaux and Le Milos respectively.

The former was a 15-8 chance and relished the testing ground to come home an easy nine lengths to the good.

“I genuinely believed she would need the run, but she is very effective on that ground,” Dan Skelton said.

“The fact that the ground was like it is brought her into it, she is very, very good. I always thought she’d be a special chaser.

“I thought she’d definitely leave behind what she did as a hurdler, I am surprised at the ease with which she’s done that today but she’s obviously very good.”

Le Milos then made a winning start to life at the Skelton stable when prevailing by four and three-quarter lengths as the 3-1 favourite.

“I thought he’d need the run as well, I’ve got him entered in the Coral Gold Cup and in the Becher Chase,” said the trainer.

“Long-term plan we were looking at the Grand National, but that’s a long way off obviously.

“I didn’t want to have him too overdone at the start of the year because I want him to last, but after that we’re going to have to go to Newbury. He took me by surprise a little bit, to be honest!

“I think he’d run really well, finish fourth, improve and we could go there (Newbury) with a nice chance without being one of the favourites, maybe I underestimated him a bit.”

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