Sean Bowen cut to 5-4 for jump jockeys' championship after reaching 50 winners with Worcester double

Sean Bowen – the runaway leader in the early standings for the jump jockeys' championship – hit the half-century mark for the season at Worcester on Monday aboard Lermoos Legend in the 2m7f handicap chase.

He doubled up with Jack The Farmer in the closing 2m7f handicap hurdle to stretch his advantage over three-time champion Brian Hughes to 23 as he seeks a first title, for which he is as short as 5-4.

He achieved 50 winners 44 days earlier than in last year's record season, during which he reached a tally of 125 to finish runner-up in the standings.

'It's been going well'

Eight-year-old Lermoos Legend, who is trained by father Peter Bowen, was stepped up almost a mile in distance from his last run at Perth but it proved effective as he stayed on well to defeat his main market rival Topofthecotswolds by two lengths.

Bowen said: "It's been going well and to get 50 up already is brilliant.

"I thought we should go to two and a half [miles] with this horse but Dad said there was a race he could run in after that. He was actually a lot harder to ride over three miles, when they go quick he just takes his mind off it whereas today he was running around a bit. He had a look at the wing four out, he was running around three out but I switched him in and he came with a good run and stayed well."

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