THE great and the good of British and Irish racing descended on Philip Hobbs’s Sandhill Racing Stables at Bilbrook last Sunday to celebrate jockey Richard Johnson being crowned Champion Jockey for the first time.

He has been a National Hunt jockey for 20 years and rode his 3,000th winner in January this year.

He finished the season with 235 winners – 105 more than closest rival Aidan Coleman – with the last of those coming on the Hobbs-trained Menorah at Sandown last month.

For the previous 16 years, he had finished second in the championship to Tony (AP) McCoy.

And now retired Sir Tony was among a throng of former champions only too willing to join Richard at Sunday’s party – others included Peter Scudamore, John Francome, JonJo O’Neil and ten times Irish champion Frank Berry.

Trainers from around the country also came to congratulate him - among them Alan King, Henry Daly, Tim Vaughan, and Lucinda Russell, who came from Scotland.

And racing’s mega owner J P McManus flew in from Barbados.

Other owners included Terry and Jill Warner, whose Rooster Booster was trained by Philip and ridden to victory by Richard in the 2003 Champion Hurdle, and Grahame and Diana Whateley, who have horses including Menorah, Captain Chris and Wishfull Thinking with the stables.

John Francome was in his element as he delivered comedic anecdotes and had the packed marquee rolling around with laughter, magician Damian Surr kept everyone spellbound all afternoon, and roving artist Michael Hubbert produced some entertaining cut out silhouettes.

Now that Richard’s long wait is over, he’ll be aiming to win the championship for many years to come – helped, of course, by horses trained at Philip’s stables.