Juddmonte Racing yesterday confirmed that Richard Hughes has agreed to ride as first jockey to Khalid Abdullah next season.
The agreement does not cover those horses trained for Abdullah by Henry Cecil, for whom Richard Quinn has first retainer, but he will ride for Roger Charlton, John Gosden, Barry Hills and Amanda Perrett.
Among the horses he will link up with next season are Observatory and last year's Dewhurst Stakes hero Distant Music.
Hughes said yesterday: "I'm delighted. It's a chance to ride some very nice horses.
"The boss (Richard Hannon) has got two very nice horses for next year but the Prince will probably have 10, 15, 20 horses much the same.
"I'm looking forward to riding Observatory - he beat Giant's Causeway with half his experience so he'll obviously improve as a four-year-old."
The rider, son of former top jump jockey Dessie Hughes, moved to Britain in 1994 to join trainer Richard Hannon, who is now his father-in-law.
And Hughes paid tribute to Hannon's contribution to his success. "I'll still be riding for Richard Hannon, the man who got me there in the first place," he said.
"Any day I have off I'll be going to East Everleigh stables. Be it a seller, a claimer, a Group Two or a Group One, I'll be there."
Hughes, who has ridden 102 winners on the Flat this term, also has over 30 career wins to his name over hurdles.
His big-race success this term include the Wokingham Stakes aboard Harmonic Way, the Stewards' Cup on Tayseer and the Jockey Club Cup aboard Persian Punch.
