Paul Hanagan vs Richard Hughes - new twists

The Hanagan- Hughes battle for the jockeys´championship continues today with Richard Hughes very much back in the reckoning after winning twice yesterday and reducing Hanagan´s lead to just 3. It also seems that Hughes has decided to pass up the chance of riding Paco Boy in the Breeders Cup Mile on Saturday in order to ride in the U.K. He will not be allowed to ride on Friday as according to British rules, jockeys are limited to 9 meetings in a week, and for the same reason Hanagan is only riding this evening at Kempton, while Hughes will be in action both at Nottingham this afternoon and Kempton this evening. It is therefore quite possible that Hughes will reduce Hanagan´s lead even further today, although neither of the duo has any stand-out rides.

Hughes has also received some help from an unexpected quarter, as he rides two Godolphin runners for Mahmoud al Zarooni in the 2yo maidens at Nottingham at 14.15 CET and half an hour later. However he does not partner the Godolphin runners trained by Saeed bin Suroor, who we expect to dominate the main events both this afternoon at Nottingham and this evening at Kempton. Caymans (Ted Durcan)- last seen running in an Australian Group One in March 2009-, and Sahara Kingdom (Daragh O´Donohoe) are their runners this afternoon in a conditions race over a mile at 15.20 and on official ratings they should finish well clear of the opposition, while this evening Mastery (Durcan), Age of Reason (O´Donohoe) and Once More Dubai (Darryll Holland) are all entered in the day´s top feature, a listed race over 1 1/2 miles. Once More Dubai took this race last year, but Mastery won the St. Leger and if anywhere near that form this evening should win easily.