Chris Hughes Takes The Reins Again

Love Island star’s first training session sees him embark on his pursuit of a childhood dream

Coral’s #LoveRacing campaign is well underway, with Love Island star, Chris Hughes taking his first steps on the road to becoming a jockey at his first training session, where he was put through his paces by legendary jump racehorse trainer Jonjo O’Neill.

Chris Hughes says: “I live just a stone’s throw away from Jonjo’s yard. If you come from Cheltenham or the Cotswolds then racing is part of your culture. I know some of the jockeys really well and I’ve already spoken with Richie McLernon and Aidan Coleman who’ve given me advice on how prepared I need to be for the race.”

Chris Hughes will compete in the Best Western Hotels & Macmillan Ride of their Lives charity race at York Racecourse on June 16^th over one mile, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support in the build up to the race. http://bit.ly/ChrisJG

Jonjo O’Neill , speaking about what it takes to be a jockey, says: “Chris needs to get to work on his arms and legs because they are the first things to go. Once you’ve got them right you can start concentrating on the race. The only way to do this is to continue riding out and hitting the gym. It’s really hard work but Chris has the hunger to do it.”

Coral PR Director Simon Clare says: “This training session is the an important first step in Chris’s journey that will ultimately see him living his dream of riding in a horse race. He has already displayed an admirable level of riding ability, and now the job is to build up his fitness and experience.”