A WREXHAM racehorse owner came face-to-face with a British sporting icon after his horse won at Haydock Park.
Nick Hughes, from Rossett, was thrilled to see Supermassive Muse clinch a convincing victory in the Ricky Hatton Handicap, a race named in honour of the legendary ‘Hitman’.
Hatton, a two-time IBF and IBO light welterweight world champion, was at the course with his family and presented the winner’s trophy to Hughes.
The 35-year-old, who works for his family’s security products business in Wrexham, said: “It was simply the best day of my life. About 30 of my friends and family came along to support and the horse bolted home by three-and-a- quarter lengths.
“The Racing Post said in their paper that Haydock hadn’t seen a winner getting as big as a reception. We raised the roof!”
Hughes, who now lives in Handbridge, added: “What made it even sweeter was getting the trophy from Ricky Hatton, who is a true sporting legend. He was such a gentleman, too. He must of posed for about 50 photos with me, my friends and family.”
Supermassive Muse runs in the colours of Hughes’ late aunt Sandra Black, who chose them shortly before she died of cancer at Nightingale Hospice in Wrexham.
Hughes donated 10% of his £4,300 prize money to the hospice.
He said: ‘It’s a fantastic hospice which really does give patients total comfort and luxury at such an awful time and I think it’s a credit to Wrexham. I’d just like to think Sandra was looking down, shouting Supermassive on just as much as we were.”
