'It was a stab in the gut' - James Bowen's agony as he watched Cheltenham from the ski slopes

James Bowen has described missing out on a winner at last season’s Cheltenham Festival as “a bit of a stab in the gut” as he continues to await his breakthrough at jump racing’s biggest week.

Bowen, 24, was speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday’s newspaper in which he reflected on his flying start to the season, the highs and lows of getting to ride Constitution Hill at Punchestown and his desire to knock big brother Sean off his perch as champion jockey.

Approaching a half-century of winners already this term, Bowen has carried on the momentum of a personal best of 85 in 2024-25, but that came in a rollercoaster period which also included getting trapped under a sedated horse in a remarkable incident at Ffos Las and missing the entire Cheltenham Festival thanks to a whip ban.

• From trapped under a sedated horse to riding a winner - the story of a wild hour and a half for James Bowen 
• No joy for James Bowen as he fails in appeal against whip ban that rules him out of Cheltenham Festival 

“Missing Cheltenham was really gutting,” he said. “I've always been pretty good with my whip, but I just had one of those days where I probably just took it too far. It’s not the way I ride and I haven’t had a whip ban since, but the circumstances just didn't suit me.

James Bowen pictured at Cheltenham with Nicky HendersonCredit: Edward Whitaker

“I was hoping I’d have the ride on Doddiethegreat and when you see him go and win the Pertemps it’s a bit of a stab in the gut. I still went to Cheltenham on the first day, but then I had to get away skiing the rest of the week. First and foremost, though, I’m a huge racing fan so I still watched every race from the slopes.”

The festival has not been a happy hunting ground for Bowen as of yet, a broken arm having also kept him out in 2023. Impatient for a win of any description, he wouldn’t mind grabbing one on a weekend if the Jockey Club were to pursue early considerations being given to shifting the festival to run from Wednesday to Saturday.

“I think it would probably be a good thing," he said. "I'm not one of those people who loves to criticise change – if they want to give it a go I wouldn’t be against it at all.

“In a normal week Saturdays are always the biggest raceday anyway, so not having Cheltenham on a Saturday is a bit weird anyway, if you look from the outside in.”

Read more from James Bowen in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday.

Read more:

From trapped under a sedated horse to riding a winner - the story of a wild hour and a half for James Bowen 

Future festival contenders? Five runners at Cheltenham's Showcase meeting who could be destined for bigger things 

Cheltenham is back! Here are five leading trainers to follow who have made hay at the Showcase meeting 

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