Hughes stood down at Curragh

Richard Hughes was stood down for the rest of the evening after hurting his left leg leaving the stalls before winning the Goffs Challenge at the Curragh tonight.

Although he enjoyed an easy victory on Richard Hannon`s Hurricane Alan, locally-lad Hughes returned unable to put his left foot properly on the ground and was promptly sidelined for the rest of the session by the Turf Club`s medical officer Walter Halley.

'Richard banged the leg which he broke last autumn leaving the stalls and is quite sore. We will be putting on an ice pack and he is due to ride in England tomorrow,' Dr Halley explained.

Fortunately for the in-form rider, Hurricane Alan was always looking like a winner as the 11-10 favourite coasted along just off the pace set under the stand rails by the eventual third Bronntanas.

Hazelhatch, like the winner a son of Mukaddamah, missed the break but ran on strongly without ever threatening the winner to take the runner-up prize of €26,000 in this extended six furlongs contest.

Hurricane Alan, who had scored over five furlongs at both Brighton and Bath, clearly appreciated the extra furlong on ground that rode good as the course continued to dry out.

'He needs that extra furlong and probably will run in a Listed Group race next. He could have run at Royal Ascot, but we opted to come here instead for this €130,000-race and I`m glad we did,' said trainer Richard Hannon`s son and namesake.

This was the second occasion that the Hannon stable had taken the Goffs challenge, having succeeded previously with Tadwiga, and Hurricane Alan delighted his owner Debbie Wight by taking the winner`s prize of €76,700 having only cost £13,000 at the sales last autumn.