Champion Bowen determined to keep chasing McCoy’s record

Champion jockey Sean Bowen cannot wait for the new campaign to begin so he can have another attempt at breaking Sir Anthony McCoy’s record of 289 winners in a season.

While racing can be a very unpredictable sport at times, especially the jumping game, Bowen being crowned champion for a second time was almost a given back in December.

That was the month he enjoyed his biggest winner of the season, a true ‘home’ success in the Welsh National on the Rebecca Curtis-trained Haiti Couleurs and while Cheltenham Festival glory still eludes him, he is one good afternoon away from 250 winners.

“It’s incredible when you look at it,” said Bowen, 28, who will pick up his trophy at Sandown on Saturday.

“I had the target of reaching Richard Johnson who’d ridden the second-most winners in a season and that was 235, I surpassed that at Ffos Las this week which was nice.

“I’ve only got AP to beat now! The numbers have been incredible, I’m a very lucky boy.

“I suppose numbers-wise I’m getting there (towards McCoy). I’d love to be riding the Grade One winners as well, I’ve no doubt they are going to come, but finding those horses is not easy.

“AP was champion 20 times, I’m definitely not going to be champion 20 times as I’m too old for that. He was incredible and I’m very lucky to be riding a similar sort of number. I’m not going until I’m 48, though, I can tell you that much!

“I’ve had over 1,000 rides and with the miles on the road it takes a lot of hard work. I’ve surpassed my target for this season, but I really can’t wait for next season to start and start all over again.”

Bowen is from a true racing family, father Peter only recently handed over his licence to eldest son Mickey, while youngest son James rides as second jockey to Nicky Henderson. But the dual champion has not always been hooked on it.

He said: “I didn’t pay racing much attention until I was about 12. I used to go racing with mum and dad and definitely didn’t enjoy it. I used to get mad when the racing channel was put on instead of the football channel!

“Very few jockeys ride 100 winners in a season so for James to do that is very good, he doesn’t do light weights either. The lightest he can do is 10st 7lb so it’s hard for him to do the numbers I do. Mickey has had an incredible start to his career, too.”

The driving force behind Bowen’s success is trainer Olly Murphy.

“I’ve had over 100 winners for Olly this year which I’ve done two years running, but very few jockeys had done that for the same stable in any season,” said Bowen. “That is a big reason why I’m champion, without them I’d be neck and neck with Harry Skelton.

“He’s a big part of everything I do every day, he’s an incredible trainer and still very young. The quality is rising in the yard so hopefully we’re on an upward trajectory and hopefully in the next few seasons we’ll have some to go to war with at Cheltenham and Aintree as well.”

Not much seems to get to the affable Bowen, but the lack of a break for the National Hunt game raises his heckles as one season finishes and a new one begins.

He said: “I don’t get much of a break, the BHA and the calendar see to that. I have two days off then it’s Punchestown.

“All summer there is only two days of no jumping twice before a summer break in August – it’s fairly stupid if I’m being honest. The calendar isn’t right, there was a Ffos Las evening meeting before Perth the next day, if I was to drive I’d almost miss the first.

“We work hard, but I can’t wait to get back to zero and start over again when I’ll try to do what we did this season – if not a little bit more.

“AP’s 289 is in my mind, I’d love to hold the record, like Dan Skelton wants to break Martin Pipe’s record. When you are at the top you want to challenge the big boys and I don’t think it’s impossible.

“It will take a lot of hard work, we have 290 days of racing I think so it’s a winner a day basically which isn’t going to be easy. I’ll have to get a scoot on at the start of the season and I’ll need all the balls to bounce my way.

“You want to be aiming at 300 if you want to do it, we’ll see how that start of the season goes but it can be broken, any record can be.”