Richard Hills (jockey)

Richard Hills (born 22 January 1963) is a retired flat racing jockey, who won six British Classic Races in a 33 year career.

Career
Richard James Hills was born in Newmarket, Suffolk on 22 January 1963, along with twin brother Michael who also became a jockey. Their father is former racehorse trainer Barry Hills. The twins' older brother John Hills was also a trainer. They also have two younger brothers, Charlie Hills (who has succeeded their father Barry as a racehorse trainer) and George Hills who works in the breeding and insurance side of the industry in Kentucky, United States.

Hills rode his first winner, Border Dawn, at Doncaster on 26 October 1979, a couple of months after Michael has his first. Initially apprenticed to his father, he transferred to Tom Jones, for whom he had won the Yorkshire Cup on Ilium and finished fourth in the Derby on At Talaq.

His first Group 1 winner was Ashal in the Ascot Gold Cup in 1990. He became the second jockey of Hamdan Al Maktoum in 1995, and was promoted to first jockey in 1997 following the retirement of Willie Carson. He used to fill in on spare rides for Godolphin Racing. He retired at the Dubai World Cup on 31 March 2012. On Sky Sports TV coverage, he joked that he retired twice in one day, as the inaugural Dubai Gold Cup in which he was racing had to be re-run, due to a fall by a Godolphin horse, Fox Hunt.

Personal life
Richard enjoys breeding ducks, Persian cats and plane spotting.

British career wins

 * 1979 – 2
 * 1980 – 6
 * 1981 – 12
 * 1982 – 31
 * 1983 – 25
 * 1984 – 39
 * 1985 – 39
 * 1986 – 42


 * 1987 – 46
 * 1988 – 52
 * 1989 – 63
 * 1990 – 56
 * 1991 – 67
 * 1992 – 52
 * 1993 – 57
 * 1994 – 59


 * 1995 – 70
 * 1996 – 71
 * 1997 – 85
 * 1998 – 83
 * 1999 – 77
 * 2000 – 81
 * 2001 – 79
 * 2002 – 82


 * 2003 – 75
 * 2004 – 66
 * 2005 – 72
 * 2006 – 54
 * 2007 – 73
 * 2008 – 68

Major wins
🇬🇧 Great Britain
 * 1,000 Guineas – (3) – Harayir (1995), Lahan (2000), Ghanaati (2009)
 * 2,000 Guineas – (1) – Haafhd (2004)
 * Ascot Gold Cup – (1) – Ashal (1990)
 * Champion Stakes – (2) – Nayef (2001), Haafhd (2004)
 * Coronation Stakes – (1) – Ghanaati (2009)
 * Dewhurst Stakes – (1) – Mujahid (1998)
 * Falmouth Stakes – (2) – Alshakr (2000), Tashawak (2002)
 * International Stakes – (1) – Nayef (2002)
 * July Cup – (1) – Elnadim (1998)
 * Middle Park Stakes – (2) – Hayil (1997), Awzaan (2009)
 * Oaks – (1) – Eswarah (2005)
 * Prince of Wales's Stakes – (2) – Mtoto (1987), Nayef (2003)
 * Queen Elizabeth II Stakes – (2) – Maroof (1994), Summoner (2001)
 * St Leger – (1) – Mutafaweq (1999)

🇨🇦 Canada
 * Canadian International Stakes – (1) – Mutamam (2001)

🇫🇷 France
 * Prix Morny – (1) – Arcano (2009)
 * Prix du Moulin de Longchamp – (1) – Aqlaam (2009)

🇩🇪 Germany
 * Aral-Pokal – (1) – Wind in Her Hair (1995)
 * Deutschland-Preis – (1) – Mutafaweq (2000)
 * Preis der Diana – (1) – Salve Regina (2002)

🇮🇹 Italy
 * Gran Premio del Jockey Club – (1) – Ekraar (2003)
 * Gran Premio di Milano – (1) – Leadership (2003)

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
 * Dubai Duty Free Stakes – (1) – Altibr (1999)
 * Dubai Sheema Classic – (1) – Nayef (2002)
 * Dubai World Cup – (1) – Almutawakel (1999)