THREE-TIMES champion jockey Richard Hughes was saddened to learn of the sudden death of "good friend" Pat Eddery in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Eddery will be remembered as a true legend of the Turf. He was 63.

Only Sir Gordon Richards rode more winners and was champion more times than Eddery, who had a colossal 4,632 victories in the UK and 11 titles, the same as Lester Piggott.

And his success story only really started when he moved from Ireland to become an apprentice with Frenchie Nicholson, the father of David Nicholson, in Prestbury, Gloucestershire.

The Nicholson academy produced a host of top jockeys, with Eddery being the best.

From there he became champion apprentice in 1971, and two years later he was given the job as number one rider to Peter Walwyn's powerful stable where, in 1973, he won the jockeys' championship for the first time.

The first of his three Derby wins at Epsom was gained on Walwyn's Grundy, the horse who featured in what is still considered by some to be the greatest race of all time, when Eddery's chestnut partner beat Bustino in the 1975 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Eddery was still in his pomp when Hughes followed the same path from Ireland to England in the mid-1990s to continue his riding career and recalled a perfect gentleman.

"It's a great shame," said Hughes, based for so many years as a jockey in Wiltshire and now a trainer in Jenny Pitman's old yard in Upper Lambourn.

"I remember the epic battle he had with Steve Cauthen in the 80s very well.

"His greatest attribute was that I never once saw a horse pull with him on the way to the start – he had such great hands and was a perfect build.

"He was the same with everybody, It didn't matter who you were, a claimer or a champion.

"I never once heard him moan to anybody about getting tightened up or whatever else happened out on the track.

"It's a sad day as he was a good friend."