Major bookings in the King George and Welsh National - who is champion jockey Sean Bowen riding this festive period?
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Champion jockey Sean Bowen is looking to end a sensational year on a high, and we’ve taken a look at his rides over the festive period, including major bookings in the King George and Welsh Grand National.
Friday, December 26 - Kempton
Barlovento – “Get Your Ladbrokes Free Kempton Bet” Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (12.45)
The Olly Murphy-trained six-year-old has been nothing but consistent throughout his six-race career. After finishing third on his debut in January 2024, he won his next two starts and followed that by finishing runner-up on three more occasions.
The latest of those came on his seasonal reappearance at Exeter last month after almost 11 months off the track. Before that return he had a wind operation and is one who thrives on softer ground.
To begin his book of rides with a bang, Bowen will have to get the better of Nico de Boinville on the Nicky Henderson-trained Noble Park, who is on a hat-trick.
Banbridge - Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (2.30)
This is a huge ride for Bowen, who has been given the reins in an attempt to defend Banbridge’s King George crown. It will be his first ride for trainer Joseph O’Brien and this is a far stiffer task than last year, but if anyone can rise to the challenge, Bowen can.
Since his King George victory, Banbridge has finished seventh in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, fourth in the Punchestown Gold Cup and fourth in the Hilly Way Chase, and he is set to wear a visor for the first time.
Last year Bowen was in contention for the ride on the eventual winner of an epic duel with Il Est Francais, but his job as number one for Murphy took him to Aintree instead.
Bowen said last week: “Looking at the race this year, it looks like he’s going to need to step up on what he did last year, but it’s nice to be riding a previous winner. You want to be riding in the big races and you want to be winning the big races.”
Zamek – Join Ladbrokes Bet £5 Get £30 Maiden Hurdle (3.05)
The five-year-old finished third on his debut in a bumper last season for Paul Nicholls before moving to Murphy during the summer.
For his new yard, he finished second on his hurdling debut behind Kosac D’Oudairies, who, on his next outing, finished seven lengths behind Supreme Novices’ Hurdle ante-post favourite Mydaddypaddy.
Kap Boy – Ladbrokes “Best Odds Guaranteed In Racing” Handicap Hurdle (3.40)
Another to move from Nicholls to Murphy over the summer, Kap Boy made an immediate impact when breaking his maiden on his seasonal return at Perth in October with a career-best performance.
He followed that up with a solid effort at Cheltenham’s November meeting, finishing third in a race won by Lavender Hill Mob.
Saturday, December 27 – Chepstow
Tenter Le Tout – Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle (1.40)
This Chester Williams-trained filly has made an exciting start to her first season in training. The three-year-old finished fourth on her debut in a bumper in October before, three weeks later, scoring on her hurdling debut. Bowen rides her for the first time, taking over from Harry Cobden.
The race was won two years ago by Salver, who is a leading contender in Boxing Day’s Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.
Haiti Couleurs – Coral Welsh Grand National (2.50)
As a Welshman, Bowen will understand the importance of this race and it is one he would love to win.
He could hardly ask for a better partner to help him achieve that feat, as he teams up with the Rebecca Curtis-trained Haiti Couleurs, a partnership that landed Bowen the biggest prize pot of his career when they won the Irish Grand National last season.
The eight-year-old made his seasonal return over hurdles, winning at Newbury, but then endured a less encouraging return to fences on his next start, when he was pulled up in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock.
After the race, Curtis dismissed suggestions that Haiti Couleurs was out of his depth as “absolute nonsense”, then provided a positive update a couple of weeks later.
She said: “After Haydock we found he had a very sore sacroiliac joint over the top of his back and he was in a lot of pain, but we’ve had it medicated, which seems to have sorted him out. He’s put weight on again and is like a caged bull.”
Bowen's season recapped
Bowen is already closing in on his seasonal best and the conversation earlier in the autumn was how close he could go in pursuit of AP McCoy’s record of 289 winners in a campaign.
Bowen has already ridden a remarkable 160 winners, just 20 fewer than his seasonal best of 180, which he set last term.
He has reached that tally at an excellent strike-rate of 25 per cent and has also finished in the first three on a further 184 occasions. The highlight of his season came this month, when he produced a peach of a ride on Glengouly to land the Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup at 33-1.
The jockey also enjoyed a blistering spell in October, riding ten winners from 12 rides, including two four-timers.
However, he has dropped off the pace set by McCoy in that record-breaking 2001-02 season. At the end of December, McCoy was on 195 winners, leaving Bowen 35 off the pace with just a week of December remaining.
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