'There was a massive mistake made - it didn't need to happen' - Sean Bowen criticises protocol following injury to fellow jockey

Sean Bowen expressed his frustration at the processes in place prior to the 2m3f maiden hurdle in which David Noonan suffered a suspected broken leg.

There was a stewards' inquiry into the opening 2m5½f conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle won by Shantou Lucky after several jockeys were deemed to have caused a false start. 

Lewis Saunders, Harriet Tucker, Freddie Mitchell, Bradley Harris, Callum Pritchard, Jamie Brace, Paddy Hanlon and Nathan Howie, who partnered the winner, were all given one-day bans.

That meant the starter was not in place at the scheduled off-time for the second race, with Bowen citing the delay as a contributing factor to Noonan receiving a nasty kick from a rival at the start.

"Mistakes are made by everyone at times but I feel there was a massive mistake made today – it didn't need to happen," Bowen told Sky Sports Racing. "Dave's a good friend and colleague and to see him get such a nasty injury was horrible.

"We didn't know as we went out that there was a stewards' inquiry to the previous race, so the starters were in there as we were waiting down at the start. We were down there for five or ten minutes before they came. The starters are our safety a lot of the time, helping us and telling us which ones kick and which ones don't. 

"We were down there too long and that's when things like that happen. We understand stewards' inquiries need to be done, but we should have been told before we went out to ride in the race.

"When you're stuck on a horse with a broken leg it's horrible. He didn't know how to get off, Gavin Sheehan had to hand his horse to Marc Goldstein and help him off, which was very good of him. We're wishing him well because it was a horrible incident."

Noonan was stretchered on to the ambulance and brought to the jockeys' room for further assessment while his mount Dyadoras Destiny was made a non-runner. The race was eventually won by the 13-8 favourite King's Reign. 

Goodwin bounces back

Goodwin bounced back to form with an easy success in the 2m3f handicap hurdle sponsored by his owners.

The 11-10 favourite showed promise as a youngster, landing a bumper at this course before going on to win novice hurdles at Plumpton and Newbury, where he had the Grade 1-placed Cannock Park behind him. 

He had not shown much since that Newbury win in March 2024, beating just five horses in four runs, but he appreciated the drop in grade to score by four and three-quarter lengths under Freddie Gordon. 

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