Sean Sean Bowen rode 30 winners in November, his best ever, and began December in similar fashion by giving Hara Kiri a never-say-die ride at Leicester on Sunday. Having his first start for 276 days on going he described as “very, very testing,” the Olly Murphy-trained horse was struggling in the rear half a mile out and not jumping fluently. But punters who didn’t tear up their tickets were heartened by the way he made progress up the straight and gradually got back into contention. Hara Kiri jumped the last well and he took the lead on the run-in for a hard-fought victory.
In complete contrast, Bowen sat as quiet as a mouse on stablemate Indeevar Bleu when winning the next, a novice hurdle. He said beforehand that the horse “had not been drilled for today,” being hard to train and off the track for 393 days. He delayed his challenge to the leader till the final flight, and then inched further ahead to give his mount as easy a time as possible. Connections will aim for another little race next.
With Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey Nico de Boinville at Newcastle to partner Sir Gino, James Bowen (photographed) came in for some good rides at Newbury and won on two of them.
Wiseguy’s victory on this, his belated seasonal reappearance, came despite some jumping errors. He was game, answering Bowen’s urgings to regain the lead after blundering at the final fence. Impose Toi completed the double in a 2m4f handicap hurdle. His form in a Grade 3 handicap at Ascot last December entitled him to be one of the favourites even though there was a doubt about his stamina. As it turned out, he was helped by the long run-in, overhauling the leader with a hundred yards left. He is another that’s not the best of jumpers either. Three miles is being considered for him. Thistook Bowen’s total of winners for Henderson to 111.
Ben Jones’s success on The Jukebox Man in a hot novice chase on Friday provoked a jubilant reaction from trainer Ben Pauling in the winners enclosure, giving the jockey a great bearhug. When asked later if this was one of the best horses he’d sat on, Jones replied, “The best.” He was in winning action again on Saturday on General Medrano, a spare ride for Emma Lavelle. The horse had finished second behind Evan Williams’ Dr T J Eckleburg in the Haydock mud seven days earlier but showed no sign whatsoever of those exertions, scoring with ease.
In the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle Sam Thomas’s Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Lump Sum was a good second to Sir Gino. He had no chance as the winner powered away on the run-in, but to finish eight lengths behind was what could be expected on ratings. Second place was a bonus, helped by the Irish challenger Mystical Power seriously underperforming.
Unfortunately our meeting on Monday 2nd December was abandoned because of waterlogging – our next fixture is Christmas Party Race Day, Thursday 19th December when the first race is 12.22pm.
Bowen rode 30 winners in November, his best ever, and began December in similar fashion by giving Hara Kiri a never-say-die ride at Leicester on Sunday. Having his first start for 276 days on going he described as “very, very testing,” the Olly Murphy-trained horse was struggling in the rear half a mile out and not jumping fluently. But punters who didn’t tear up their tickets were heartened by the way he made progress up the straight and gradually got back into contention. Hara Kiri jumped the last well and he took the lead on the run-in for a hard-fought victory.
In complete contrast, Bowen sat as quiet as a mouse on stablemate Indeevar Bleu when winning the next, a novice hurdle. He said beforehand that the horse “had not been drilled for today,” being hard to train and off the track for 393 days. He delayed his challenge to the leader till the final flight, and then inched further ahead to give his mount as easy a time as possible. Connections will aim for another little race next.
With Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey Nico de Boinville at Newcastle to partner Sir Gino, James Bowen (photographed) came in for some good rides at Newbury and won on two of them.
Wiseguy’s victory on this, his belated seasonal reappearance, came despite some jumping errors. He was game, answering Bowen’s urgings to regain the lead after blundering at the final fence. Impose Toi completed the double in a 2m4f handicap hurdle. His form in a Grade 3 handicap at Ascot last December entitled him to be one of the favourites even though there was a doubt about his stamina. As it turned out, he was helped by the long run-in, overhauling the leader with a hundred yards left. He is another that’s not the best of jumpers either. Three miles is being considered for him. This took Bowen’s total of winners for Henderson to 111.
Ben Jones’s success on The Jukebox Man in a hot novice chase on Friday provoked a jubilant reaction from trainer Ben Pauling in the winners enclosure, giving the jockey a great bearhug. When asked later if this was one of the best horses he’d sat on, Jones replied, “The best.” He was in winning action again on Saturday on General Medrano, a spare ride for Emma Lavelle. The horse had finished second behind Evan Williams’ Dr T J Eckleburg in the Haydock mud seven days earlier but showed no sign whatsoever of those exertions, scoring with ease.
In the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle Sam Thomas’s Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Lump Sum was a good second to Sir Gino. He had no chance as the winner powered away on the run-in, but to finish eight lengths behind was what could be expected on ratings. Second place was a bonus, helped by the Irish challenger Mystical Power seriously underperforming.
Unfortunately our meeting on Monday 2nd December was abandoned because of waterlogging – our next fixture is Christmas Party Race Day, Thursday 19th December when the first race is 12.22pm.
