Hughes started pony racing aged seven, having his first win aboard Chestnut Lady in a six furlong race at Wexford. His first ride in the senior ranks was in a six furlong maiden at Naas on 19 March 1988, on a debutant called Scath Na Greine. He finished tenth. Since the end of 2013, Hughes' main provider of rides has been trainer Richard Hannon Jr., who is also his brother in law. For many years before that he rode for Hannon's father, Richard Hannon Sr. and from 2001-07 he was also retained by the owner Prince Khalid Abdullah. Hughes is 5'10" in height, very tall for a flat jockey, similar to Tony McCoy; both men have to maintain his weight significantly below natural levels, even for a jockey. His larger natural size means he cannot ride horses carrying light weights, reducing his winning opportunities. Hughes is respected for his riding style of 'nursing' horses along, getting horses to respond and run into the race without appearing to physically ride them hard. In October 2011, Hughes received a five day ban for hitting Swift Blade six times in the final furlong and a few days later got a ten day ban for hitting More Than Words too many times with the whip inside the final furlong in a race at Kempton. The ban was the first of its kind to be implemented after a change in the rules regarding horse welfare. On 13 October 2011, it was announced that Hughes was giving up his racing licence and quitting the sport out of protest at the ban. Hughes did not follow up on this threat and on 15 October 2012 he equaled Frankie Dettori's record of winning seven races in a single meeting by winning seven out of eight races at Windsor Racecourse. The following month, he claimed his first British flat racing Champion Jockey title with 172 winners over the season. In May 2013, after a long wait, he won his first British Classic on Sky Lantern in the 1,000 Guineas. He then won his second a month later on Talent in the Oaks. On 21 June 2013, he won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on 1000 guineas winner Sky Lantern. At the end of the 2013 British flat racing Hughes was crowned Champion Jockey for the second consecutive season. His total of 208 winners made him the first jockey to ride more than 200 winners in a British flat season since Kieren Fallon in 2003. He retained the title again in 2014, before retiring and taking up training.
Personal life
Hughes is married to wife Lizzie and the couple have two son's and a daughter. Outside of racing he enjoys playing a lot of golf.
