Top Jumps Jockey Sean Bowen returns to talk us through his rides for the weekend, a brief Noble Yeats update and of course the weather.
We have sponsored Sean for a while now, and we’re extremely excited to unleash his blog on site to give you an insight into the weighing room, the latest on his big weekend rides and opinion on all the big races! Follow Sean’s blog each week for his thoughts exclusively.
About Sean
At 25 years old Sean has now established himself as one of the top riders in UK Jumps racing. He was Champion Conditional Jockey in 2015 and has gone from strength-to-strength ever since. He won his first Grade 1 with on If The Cap Fits in 2019 in the Liverpool Hurdle, and his latest one was on Metier in the Tolworth Hurdle last season. Sean currently sits second in the Jump Jockey Championship.
With the poor weather it has been a long time since we had a great weekend of action to look forward to – but Cheltenham promises to be just that. I have some really great opportunities coming up and hopefully the winners will continue to come.
My Best Chance on Friday
FOUND ON (3.00 Huntingdon) would have a nice chance in the Listed race Chase and forms. Her form has obviously been very solid all the whole way up to a last run, but I think the last run just came a bit quick after a good run at Cheltenham which was probably a hard race. So I think she should have a good chance and I think Little Miss Dante (4.10) in the Bumper is one Ollie Murphy likes. I’ve sat on her once and twice but Ollie seems to think she’s done all the work very well. So I’m hoping she can go as well.
My Rides at Cheltenham on Saturday
12.40 Back On The Lash
He’s been trained for this race all season and he should definitely have an each-way chance. Trainer Martin Keighley thinks he’s best when fresh so he hasn’t run for a while and this has been the aim. His run at Cheltenham last time over fences was very good and he loves it round there, so he should have a good chance.
If he does well on Saturday I’d imagine the plan would be to go for the cross-country at the Festival, but you do tend to get much better horses at the Festival so he might be out of his depth there. If he is to have a chance in a cross-country I expect it to be on Saturday rather than the Festival.
2.25 Noble Yeats
I haven’t sat on him since that Aintree run but I was hugely impressed with him that day so I’m looking forward to getting back on board. Looking at the race, there’s two front runners in Frodon and Ahoy Senor, so hopefully the race sets up nicely for Noble Yeats and he’ll obviously be the one staying on at the end.
Clarence House – too tough to call!
It’s impossible to choose between Energumene and Edwardstone. The two very, very, very good horses and it’ll be interesting race. It looks like it’ll be set up with front runners like Amarillo Sky so it’ll be a proper test. I genuinely don’t know which one I’d pick – that’s really a 50/50 by supposed Energumene is the Champion Chaser so maybe he will shade it.
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