NOT many jockeys would associate the two phrases “Nottingham Racecourse” with “a day to remember”.

It’s a pleasant enough track but it’s hardly where riding dreams come true. Unless, of course, you are Malton’s Paul Hanagan.

Nottingham will always have a special place in his memory.

For it is where he joined the 100 club. It’s where he notched his first century of turf winners – just days before the 2009 Flat season came to a close at Doncaster.

Hanagan had done the ton before, in 2006 and 2004, but that was over a calendar year. He’d never done it during Flat’s traditional boundaries of March to November.

“That was a day to remember,” he asserts.

“It was a bleak day at Nottingham. I took a bit of stick because I waved my whip coming past the line and there was no one there. A few of the lads had a laugh.

“It was a good day. I didn’t think I was going to do it because Doncaster was coming up pretty quickly but I was chuffed to bits. It was my first time on the turf.

“It was brilliant. I have always wanted to do it and with the season the boss has had it helped a lot.”

To say that 2009 was a good season is an understatement.

The winners never stopped flowing. Not only has it been a record year for Hanagan – he has 119 winners in 2009 at the time of going to press – it’s also been a stunning season for his boss, trainer Richard Fahey.

Hanagan’s been with him almost from the start, becoming champion apprentice with the Musley Bank handler before fulfilling all that youthful promise as his stable jockey.

Only Mark Johnston and Richard Hannon have had more winners than Fahey (163) and the pair are already planning how to better that stunning total next season.

Hanagan added: “It was just amazing. I didn’t think we had one bad spell at all. From the first day it was just like clockwork. They just kept so fit and healthy. You could say it was a surprise but we have got a really good team there.

“Obviously there’s the boss and Robin O’Ryan, the assistant, and we have got great staff.

“You’ve got to better your last results but I am pretty confident. We should have a lot more horses and I am really looking forward to it. I think this year a lot of people have taken note.

“We have had great seasons in the past but, this year, it was amazing. Everywhere you went people were talking about Richard Fahey and myself having such a great year.

“A lot of people took notice and, hopefully, it will pay off.”

A season of highlights was franked not only by the century but by Hanagan winning the top jockey title at York Racecourse for the first time (Fahey won the top trainer title for the fourth year in a row) and being once again crowned top Yorkshire rider.

On the track? “I think Utmost Respect winning the Duke of York in May was a highlight,” he said.

“That was a great day. I had a Royal Ascot winner in June – my first – something I never thought I would do, along with 100 winners.

“The last day at York was great. I think I had two winners and just sealed it.

“I was just sick to death of seeing the boss’s name. He had three of them on the (results) board and I was nowhere.

“I thought I should be on there if he’s top trainer. I finally got on.”

Added Hanagan: “It’s usually a right ding-dong for the top Yorkshire rider and this year it was the same again. I think there was me, David Allan and Phillip Makin. It went right down to the wire.

“The last week of the Flat there were quite a few Yorkshire tracks and I had a really good week.”

Now it’s about taking another big step.

They are no strangers to Group 1 victories at Musley Bank, but Hanagan’s aim for 2010 is to regularly be in the winner’s enclosure in racing’s top contests.

“It is about better quality races, more Group races, more Listed races,” he said.

“We have done well with all the big handicaps and a few Group races but it would be just be great to move forward into more Group contests.”