Hughes retires from riding

Press, 25 August 1976, Page 20

Hughes retires from riding

PA Auckland. Grenville Hughes, one of the greatest jockeys in New Zealand turf history and a sporting hero for years, l.as retired from race riding at the age of 49. Hughes, who rode about 1270 winners in a career of 34 years, said yesterday that he would be returning his licence to the New Zealand Racing Conference tills week.

“I’ve had a fabulous time out of racing,” he said. “It’s been very kind to me. But my retirement had to come sooner or later and. while I’m in good health, I’ve decided to make it sooner than later.” Hughes was associated with most of the outstanding gallopers since the second world war including the great champion, Mainbrace, Kirrama, Ben Lomond, Somerset Fair, and beebe.

He twice topped the National Premiership and few would argue that, had he travelled round the country as extensively as some other riders, he would have been champion much more often.

As a weight-for-age rider he was supreme. By his count he won over 100 of these elite, absorbing, highly competitive events, almost certainly more than any other rider ever in New Zealand His recipe for success in weight-fog-age racing is something he prefers to share only: with “some boy who might some dav want my advice.” Hughes’ career is studded with highlights. Mainbrace won 23 out 25 starts, 17 in an unbroken sequence. Hughes rode him in every race except the first. In 1953. at Ellerslie, where he started out in a stable at 12 year*: of age, he rode the aptly named Royal Applause to victorv in the first race the Queen and Prince Philip watched on their New Zealand tour. Four vear* late»-. at Trentham. hw guided Bali Ha’i to w*in the•>t .Tame* Cun before the Queen: Mother Minute* later, in a bird-j eage ceremony, Bali Ha’J’s owner. Sir Ernest Davia, presented the

horse to the Queen Mother, who subsequently raced him in Britain.

The year 1953 was also notable for Hughes in that he won the Melbourne Racing Club Invitation Stakes at Caulfield on St Joel and, on the same day, the Underwood Stakes on Flying Halo. He almost repeated his performance. on the same horse, when Invited over again the next year. St Joel finished second in the Invitation Race and Flying Halo beat the mighty New Zealand horse, Rising Fast, In the Underwood Stakes.

Hughes won seven races in Australia, most of his trips being in the days when New Zealand riders were almost ridiculed by Australians. The closest he got in a Melbourne Cup was a second on Elkayel in Polo Prince's year.

He left school at the end of his Standard six year and joined the stable of W. J. Fergus, but when Fergus joined the army he transferred to N. Cunningham, whose skill, sage advice and Patience were to influence the then □st 21b slip of a boy. Hughes’s first mount. British Talent, ran last in a 22 horse field at Avondale in September, 1942 It was 78 rides before he got his first win. “I was too light, too weak, useless,” he recalls.

That first win came on Tiger Tan at Ellerslie in April, 1943. In December. 1966, at Te Aroha, he rode his 1000th winner. This was Tina, which raced in the same ownership as Tudor Light, on which Hughes won a string of races in the season just finished. Hughes won an Auckland Cup. a Wellington Cup, and a New Zealand Cup He won three Great Northern Derbys, seven G.N. Guineas, eight GN. Oak*, six G.N. Foal Stakes, six G.N. Chamnagne Stakes, four G.N. St Legers, th’-ee Easter Handicap*; and five Railway Handicaps—at EJi°rslie alone. He captured most major rias-: «3c and handicap races run else-, where in Zealand, many; i<ke Wellington** big sprint, the: Telegraph Handicap, several i times.