Richard Hughes's ambition to ride a hurdles winner at the Cheltenham Festival moved closer to fulfilment yesterday. Hughes, a senior Flat jockey these days, has been booked for the promising novice, Blue Bajan, in the totesport Trophy Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
Andy Turnell, trainer of Blue Bajan, recruited Hughes to replace Graham Lee, who has been claimed by his employer, Ferdy Murphy. Turnell was formerly a tall, stylish jockey and may see something of himself in Hughes, who will now try to give the stable its second win in this valuable handicap.
Blue Bajan, a Champion Hurdle entry and rated 111 on the Flat, is as short as 7-1 with the race sponsors, while Lee's mount, Dancer's Serenade, can be backed at 20-1. Murphy, however, was upbeat about his runner, saying: “He'll come late off the strong pace he needs and we're hopeful.”
Murphy, who provided Lee's 89th winner of the season with Beggar's Cap at Carlisle yesterday, has ruled Another Promise out of the AON Chase, another feature of Newbury's attractive card. His stable star will instead reappear in a handicap hurdle at Newcastle next week.
Meanwhile, Newbury can stage Saturday's meeting without the distractions that have plagued the board for some months. A takeover bid by Guinness Peat Group was defeated yesterday when only 5.5 per cent of shareholders accepted the company's offer to buy them out.