Hughes wins World Super Jockey Series; Stevens 14th in
final standings
This was the first year that Richard Hughes took part in Japan’s World Super
Jockeys Series, but the multiple British champion jockey found himself crowned
the victor after two days of the four-race points-based competition which pitted
15 international riders against one another.
“I’d like to thank the JRA for the prestigious invite and
I’m honored to be here and represent my country,” Hughes said following the
win.
Despite a slow start which saw him finishing 13th in Saturday’s first leg, the
Golden Saddle Trophy, Hughes was quick to secure 15
points with race-favorite American Winner when second in the Golden Bridle Trophy.
That saw him earn a first-day total of 16 points and fourth-place on the
leaderboard.
He opened Sunday on a much stronger note, upsetting the Golden Boots with long-shot Western
Rebecca to see his points total boosted to 36. Hughes saved ground on the
sophomore filly, who was listed at 28-1, before angling her out toward the
center of the track for the final run. The duo crossed the line 1 1/2 lengths in
front of Shiny Heart’s with Andrasch Starke aboard.
“She broke well and we were able to sit in a good position,” Hughes
explained. “She handled the pace well, so a longer distance could be an option.”
He returned in the final leg, the 1600-meter Golden Whip Trophy, to add 13 points
to his total with another masterly ride on yet another long shot in Shonan Maja.
The pair were off slow and stayed near the rear of the field before weaving
their way through rivals to make a run at eventual winner Osumi Nine and jockey
Patrick Smullen.
Hughes found himself finishing third with the 66-1 longest shot on the board
after giving up second late to Tamamo Marble and jockey Shoichi Kawahara.
“For a second, in the stretch, I thought I’d won it, but she didn’t have
anything left,” Hughes said. “She would have won if it were over 1,400 meters.”
Third-place was still good enough to catapult Hughes onto the winner’s stand
with a total of 49 points following the four races, three points more than
Smullen in second and nine points more than Starke.
Smullen earned his first career JRA win on board
race-favorite Osumi Nine in the Golden Whip Trophy. The Irish jockey, who had
made his first visit to Japan in nine years, demonstrated his riding skills
right from the start, guiding lightly regarded mounts to impressive finishes on
the first day, while tactfully finishing within the money on the more favored
mounts he rode on the second day.
“It’s a privilege to be here and absolutely thrilled to
have ridden a winner,” Smullen said. “I think you couldn’t have had better riders here
— they all
rode very competitively — and it was just a great privilege.”
Starke, now a well-known jockey in Japan from
several visits to the country for this series as well as his rides in the Japan Cup
and his short-term stint this spring, scored a personal best in his fourth
participation this year for third-place.
“Well it was a great day and this is my fourth
participation, and I’m very happy to stay first time here and I’m very happy to
get a third place, so it was a pleasure to come here and I am very pleased,”
Starke remarked.
Gary Stevens tried to cap off an amazing comeback this year with victory in
both the World Super Jockeys Series and Japan Cup Dirt aboard fellow American
Pants on Fire, but wound up 14th in the final standings of the jockey’s
competition with just nine points to his credit and last-of-16 in the Japan Cup
Dirt. Stevens returned to race-riding in January after a seven-year absence and
has captured, among other top-level events, the Preakness and Breeders’ Cup
Classic this season.
Stevens leaves Monday for Hong Kong, where he is scheduled to compete in the Longines
International Jockey Challenge.
For Sunday’s complete results and final standings of the World Super Jockeys
Series, please click
here.
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