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.
I had a riding ban for three days this week, so I took the opportunity to take some time out skiing in the Alps in Switzerland. It’s the best holiday, and made all the better given that I haven’t missed any rides because of the weather causing so much disruption to the calendar. I return this weekend at Taunton and my luck is in again as it looks likely (fingers crossed) to be on.
My Rides This Weekend
1.20 Tibbie Dunbar
When I first started riding she was quite keen and then she came to settle quite well. And when when she she settled very well one day at Exeter she won hard on the bridle. I actually haven’t ridden her since, but she ran went well last time. It was very good run and I think she will have a good chance.
2.30 Hunters Call
He’s a decent horse on his day but he’s 13 now. So it gets very hard when you get to that age. He’s running in a Senior Hurdle, we don’t get many senior hurdles, it’s basically like a Veterans Chase. So hopefully running in something like that will give him a chance and there’s not many young lads in the race. He ran well at Bangor on his first run this season, and look he has a chance but obviously he’s gonna be a hard horse to win with at the age of 13 so and we’ll see how we go.
Hard Frost 3.50
I ride for Harry Derham here who has got around 20 horses in training I think, but has being fairly successful with them having been assistant to Paul Nicholls. This horse has actually come from Paul’s yard. He looked a bit disappointing and then he had his last run for a handicap mark for Harry. So I’m hoping now with this nice handicap mark he can be nice and competitive, obviously I don’t know a whole lot about him, but Harry’s done very well and he wouldn’t have had him out of Paul’s if he didn’t think there was anything to go to war with.
Bushtucker Park 4.20
It’s his first run but he looks like lovely bred horse. Some nice horses in the family and by Walk In The Park who is having lots of winners. Hopefully he can be competitive in the bumper.
Noble Yeats
I haven’t had any contact yet from the connections ahead of his run next week at Cheltenham. There was an issue with his injections, but it looks like all things are good to go for next week. I’m excited to be back on board one of my big horses for the year, and hopefully he puts up a good display and is safe and sound ahead of March and beyond.