Michael Hills to retire
Tuesday 16 October 2012 10:42, UK
Charlie Hills has had no thoughts as yet about a new stable jockey after his brother Michael announced his retirement.
Lambourn handler starts search for new stable jockey
Charlie Hills has yet to give any consideration to who might replaced his brother as his stable jockey following Michael's announcement that he will retire at the end of the current season. The 49-year-old has ridden over 2,000 winners and calls it a day just months after his twin brother Richard decided the time was right to call it quits. Michael Hills told At The Races: "I'll be 50 in January and of course Richard went in March. "Basically, if you can get to your late 40s and still be riding Group winners, I think you have done very well. "The last thing I wanted was to go on too far. I would hate people to be walking off the stand going "this guy should give up"." Hills rode Just The Judge to victory in the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday. "I'd love to hang around for the filly (Just The Judge) next year and other horses but when the time's right, I think the time's right" he added. "Of course I was tempted by her to go on and when she went past the line Ben Sangster (part-owner) said "make sure you're here next year" and that made me think about it. You can go on and go on. "I pray to God nothing will happen to her, but she's got to get to a Guineas as well and if she didn't, you've got to do the whole season and give it your utmost. You can't just ride the one."Derby Winner
Hills won the 1996 Derby on the William Haggas-trained Shaamit and was champion apprentice in 1983. Among the best horses he rode were Royal Applause, trained by his father, Barry, and Pentire who won the King VI And Queen Elizabeth and Irish Champion Stakes. The likes of La Cucaracha, First Island, Handsome Sailor and more recently Equiano also helped keep Hills at the top of his profession and his younger brother will be sad to see him go. "It's the end of an era," said Hills. "It's very sad but all good things must come to an end. I had an idea that he was thinking about it but it was still a shock when he told me. "Michael just feels it's the right time to go, but I think he proved on Saturday that he's still got what it takes. "I'm really glad that Just The Judge won, more so now than ever. To win on a day billed Future Champions Day and for him to go at the top was great. "She's a really smart filly too, Michael feels she's one of the best he's ridden and he's ridden some good ones. "We've always thought she was very good and she proved it. We can dream of the Guineas through the winter with her. I won't know who'll be riding her, though, I haven't given next season any thought whatsoever yet."Click here for a completely free £10 bet with Sky Bet
