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Hills hanging up his tack at close of Carnival Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's long-standing retained rider Richard Hills will retire at the close of the current Dubai World Cup Carnival, he announced on Sunday. Following a report in the UAE-based newspaper Khaleej Times claiming that the 49-year-old would quit the saddle, he issued the following statement through his agent John Robertson on Sunday: "It has been my privilege to ride for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum as first jockey for the last 15 years and previously as second jockey to Willie Carson for two years," he said in the statement. "No jockey could have ridden for a more loyal and supportive owner. I was very fortunate to have started my career with a truly great man in Mr. Tom Jones and without him, much of what I have achieved would not have been possible. "I now want to use the experience and knowledge gained through my career to date to further contribute to Sheikh Hamdan and the Shadwell team, including the Derrinstown and Shadwell farms. After closing one great chapter a new one begins." Hills, son of the legendary trainer Barry, who also retired last year, has partnered five British classic winners including a trio of Group 1 One Thousand Guineas heroines in the Shadwell silks in Harayir, Lahan and Ghanaati. In total, he rode 29 Group 1 scorers during a 33-year career which featured the 1999 Group 1 Dubai World Cup hero Almutawakel and champion Nayef. Appointed second jockey for Sheikh Hamdan in 1995 and promoted to the top spot following the retirement of Willie Carson two years later, Hills also enjoyed several high-profile wins for the Godolphin operation including in the 1999 Group 1 St Leger with Mutafaweq. Hill's son Patrick has begun to make his name as a jockey in his own right, while his twin brother, Michael, and brothers John and Charles both train in Lambourn. Another trainer who enjoyed a lengthy partnership with the Hills is John Dunlop and he paid tribute on Sunday. "He rode primarily for Tom Jones when he first started riding for Sheikh Hamdan, but subsequent to that, and after Willie Carson's retirement, he rode as number one jockey for Sheikh Hamdan and has been the most marvelous, reliable, most consistent stable jockey that you could possibly have," the famed Arundel conditioner told PA Sport. "And a very nice young man, too. I'm glad to hear he's going to take some sort of role in Sheikh Hamdan's operation in future. I think the best he rode for me, as sadly all the classic winners we had were in Willie's reign, was probably Elnadim. He won the July Cup and was a top, top horse. Richard has done us very well over these years and I do wish him well in the future."
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