Sean Bowen (photographed) has posted his entry for ride of the season nice and early.
The champion jockey was at his brilliant best to land the three-mile novice chase at Cheltenham’s November meeting, turning what for most of the contest looked like a lost cause into a convincing victory.
His mount, the Olly Murphy-trained Wade Out, looked the first horse beaten, toiling at the rear of the five-runner field and jumping slowly. But the champion jockey refused to recognise it as a hopeless situation.
As the race progressed some of the horses ahead of him began to drop out of contention. And Bowen’s urgings somehow kept Wade Out within a few lengths of the front two rounding the home turn.
By then the leading pair began to tire in the testing ground and Wade Out jumped the last two fences better than he had all the previous obstacles, before galloping away to win by more than three lengths.
In contrast, Bowen’s other winner at the three-day meeting was achieved from the front, gained aboard Irish raider Celestial Tune in a bumper.
His brother James was also on the mark at Cheltenham, providing Somerset trainer Nicky Martin with a winner courtesy of French Emperor in a bumper.
The big race of the weekend, the Paddy Power Gold Cup, provided a rare reverse for Sam Thomas. Four of his previous seven runners had won, but on this occasion he had to settle for second best as Vincenzo – carrying the colours of Dai Walters – was denied by Panic Attack from the in-form yard of Dan Skelton.
Vincenzo is likely to bid to go one better in the December Gold Cup back at Cheltenham next month.
The Bowens were not the only Welsh jockeys to be in the winner’s enclosure at the weekend, with James Davies on the mark with two winners at Uttoxeter.
That double was initiated with another win on board Aworkinprogress, who defied yet another rise in the weights to record his sixth win on the bounce for trainer Nick Gifford and owner JP McManus.
Davies has been in the saddle for all six of those wins, during which his handicap mark has risen from 90 to 121.
It was also a successful weekend for Callum Pritchard, who followed up a win at Uttoxeter with success in the Southern National at Plumpton on Sunday on Livin On Luco.
Elsewhere on the card, Champion Hurdle-winning jockey Lorcan Williams took a juvenile contest courtesy of 66-1 shot Westlain, who put a moderate effort at Warwick just 12 days earlier behind him with an authoritative 12-length win.
Our next meeting is this Wednesday 19th November with a six-race card getting under way at 1.05pm.
