Aussie Hugh Bowman continues to impress
One of the features of Royal Ascot this year has been the variety not only amongst the equine stars but also amongst the human ones – especially with the jockeys and on Friday the course will welcome back a familiar and welcome face in the shape of Hugh Bowman.
The leading Sydney jockey will be adding a further antipodean dimension to the Royal Meeting when he renews his successful association that he forged with trainer Mick Channon in 2007.Channon was the main provider of Bowman's rides when he was last here in the summer of 2007, on that occasion he partnered 33 winners from 302 rides, riding 16 winners from 152 rides for West Ilsley trainer Channon.
The highlight of their previous association was winning the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket with Hatta Fort and with Channon sure to have plenty of ammunition in those six weeks of Bowman's visit he should add to the tally of 33 winners in this country. Those looking to place a horse bet should certainly bear him in mind.
He could not have ridden at the first two days of the meeting due to a riding ban is expected to partner Atlantic Sport in the Buckingham Palace Stakes on Friday, both taking mounts in both the Chesham and Queen Alexandra Stakes on the final day of the meeting.
Bowman is one of the top five jockeys in Australia and was champion in Sydney in 2008-9 and he would have arrived earlier but for commitments in Group 1 races in his native country. Channon had met up with the jockey earlier in the year and persuaded him to come back for a short stint to renew their successful association.
Apparently he was set to come back before to these shores in 2008 for a full season but he felt that he had better opportunities Down Under and those looking for horse racing betting tips would have been disappointed by his decision.
Bowman is expected to stay in Britain until the end of Glorious Goodwood and he'll be very active on the riding front for Channon in his time here – he already has rides pencilled in for the trainer at Pontefract on Sunday including Halicarnassus in the Listed race on the card.We have had plenty of equine "invaders" this year and it's good to have a human one back in the shape of Aussie jock – Hugh Bowman.