Nugent aiming for No. 1 spot this year

Having finished fourth in last year's jockey's championships, top apprentice Oshane Nugent has now set his sights on winning this year's title at Caymanas Park.

Nugent, who began riding on December 7, 2019, finished the season with 36 wins.

Joint champion jockeys Anthony Thomas and Dane Nelson, with 84 wins each, and Omar Walker on 54, rounded out the top three riders in the country for 2020.

Still riding on his success in the saddle last year, Nugent told STAR Sports that he is feeling very confident that he will be able to win this year's jockey's championships at the Gregory Park-based racetrack.

"The plan is to be the champion, and so I am working very hard towards it. I am very confident in myself," said Nugent.

Hard work

"I am feeling great so far this year because I just continue to put in the hard work and hopefully, the trainers, owners and grooms will continue to work with me and I can get the job done this year as a champion jockey."

However, despite his success in the saddle so far, the 29-year-old Nugent, who is a past student of Cumberland High School in St Catherine, has had his fair share of challenges on the track.

In October of the last year, he was given a 14-day suspension by the stewards and fined $20,000 for careless riding. However, he has appealed the decision and is now awaiting a hearing.

He was also given a suspended five-day, race-day ban for careless riding in November of last year and was ordered to do remedial work, which he has now completed.

Nugent underscored that he has been working assiduously with former jockey Paul Ramsey to improve his craft and said he is now a much better jockey.

"I am improving my style of riding because I have been doing some remedial classes with Mr Ramsey and it is working out very well, and it is showing out there, and so I am very confident in myself," he said.

"I am not fully fit, but I have been working a lot on this to ensure that I am at my best at all times," Nugent stated.