Hugh Bowman returns to Sha Tin for gun QEII ride
CHAMPION Australian jockey Hugh Bowman will return to Hong Kong in the hopes to ride consecutive wins aboard Werther in the Group 1 QEII Cup.
Bowman has won 11 group one races already this season in Australia and links up with former Australasian champion Werther, which is currently paying +350 at Bet365.com.
Bowman believes getting the John Moore-trained runner to settle will be the determining factor for this Sunday’s feature at Sha Tin.
“The biggest thing is getting him to relax in his races. I’d say that last year’s QEII is the only race I’ve ridden him in where he’s really settled and relaxed in the run and we saw how that allowed him to finish off his race,” Bowman said.
“Obviously I’m looking forward to Sunday’s race. I don’t think the race is as strong, on paper at least, as last year but in saying that he (Werther) hasn’t quite had the same grounding, hasn’t had the same amount of racing leading into this.
“I think the harder the race and the more intense the contest, the better he goes. And there might not be much pressure early in this race, which isn’t ideal. Even if Joao (Moreira) chooses to roll forward on Neorealism, you know that he’s not going to do so at any breakneck speed.”
Bowman has been aboard all four of Werther’s Hong Kong wins and along with his wins aboard Winx, Bowman has risen to be rated as the top jockey by the Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ World’s Best Jockey standings, which awards points based on performances in the world’s top 100 group one races.
“Last year really was amazing for me. The stuff dreams are made of,” Bowman said.
Bowman has scored 30 group one wins over the past three seasons in Australia and he scored three major wins on day two of The Championships where he won with Winx, Bonneval and Invader.
He believes his experience is an integral part in his development as a jockey, which includes time spent in Hong Kong.
“I needed to travel. It took me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop as a person and as a rider,” Bowman said.
“I’ve been riding quite frequently in Hong Kong since I had a stint there in 2014 and I love the challenge of competing there.”