BROAD Hinton trainer Andy Turnell caused a few eyebrows to be raised ahead of today's feature race at Newbury, the £150,000 Totesport Trophy Handicap Hurdle, by booking top Flat jockey Richard Hughes to ride his charge Blue Bajan.

With regular rider Graham Lee sidelined with a broken jaw, the Wiltshire trainer was left without a jockey for his stable star.

Explaining the booking, Turnell said: "Richard was obviously keen to have a few rides over hurdles this term and his agent rang me to see if we were interested.

"Because I think his style of riding will really suit our horse I booked him, and he has been out and ridden him over a hurdle or two."

Hughes said that he had a chat with regular pilot Lee about the horse, and also Michael Hills, who rode him on the Flat most of last season.

Turnell feels a fast pace of a typical Totesport Trophy will suit Blue Bajan and added: "It will take a lot of winning of course, and if the ground keeps drying it will help us as he has some speed.

"I was quite pleased with the way he finished at Leicester on softer ground two starts ago. The race was fairly weak but he kept galloping."

Hughes has had several rides over hurdles, winning a novice event at Ascot just before Christmas on Lyceum.