SEAN BOWEN secured his 100th win in the 2023/24 Jump Jockeys’ Championship today, dashing into an impressive lead as he looks to become Champion Jockey for the first time.

The victory was aboard Booster Bob trained by Olly Murphy, at Uttoxeter.

With the best part of six months of the season still to come, the Welsh rider has created a sizable break on the chasing pack, with a 34-point lead on fellow jockey Harry Cobden who is closely followed by Sam Twiston-Davies and Brian Hughes.

The 26-year-old has caught the attention of racing fans as a future Champion Jockey having enjoyed great success on the Point-to Points as a 16-year-old. The son of Pembrokeshire-based trainer Peter Bowen, Bowen won the 2015 Champion Conditional Jockeys’ title in his first full season as a professional and has since established himself as one of Jump racing’s top riders. His personal-best of 125 winners last season saw him fall 40 short of reigning Champion Jockey Hughes, but he has made a lightning-fast start to this campaign. He could even overhaul last season’s tally before Christmas after a superb summer.

Speaking on 2023/4 Jump Jockeys’ Championship, Bowen told Herald Sport: “Champion Jockey is the main aim for the whole season. I have got a nice lead, which is ideal going into this time of year, but we are only halfway through so hopefully I have got plenty of nice yards to ride for and plenty of nice horses to ride, which will provide me with enough winners from now till the end of April.

Working towards his main goal Bowen has had luck at several tracks and looks forward to some upcoming rides: “I have had a lot of success at Aintree and Sandown, so I personally love those two tracks. So, I would say the Grand National Meeting and the Bet 365 meeting at Sandown are my two favourite meetings.

There are plenty of nice novices, but you don’t really know until you run them, so the one I am most looking forward to getting back on is Noble Yeats who was a good horse for me last season, winning the grade 2 chase at Aintree and then went on to finish fourth in the Grand National and Gold Cup, so he was one of my best rides last season and I am looking forward to getting back on him again.”

When asked if there was a ride he has his eye on, he said: “I think everyone in the weighing room probably has the same answer to this question and wants to ride Constitution Hill, he is the horse that everyone would love to ride.”

A partnership with powerful Warwickshire trainer Olly Murphy has been key with the pair sharing 68 successes and it gives him plenty of ammunition going into the main jumps season. Bowen’s father supplied him with more winners over the summer months than any other trainer and the likes of Harry Fry, Martin Keighley, Ryan Potter, Gary Hanmer and even Sir Mark Prescott have all been keen to use his services. Gordon Elliott has also been a big supporter on the Irish trainer’s raids to these shores. Sean’s strength in the saddle and fierce determination gives the chasing pack a massive task if they are to derail his quest to be champion jockey.

Chasing Bowen are Brian Hughes, Harry Cobden and Sam Twiston-Davies. Three-time Champion Jockey and current title holder Hughes spoke to Great British Racing and gave an insight into the season ahead. Hughes acknowledged the struggles that come with the change in weather, along with his hopes moving forward, he said:

“I would like to just get some racing in and try and race some winners to be honest it has been a quiet for a couple of weeks now.

“I like riding Minella Drama, although he is not the easiest customer in the world, but he has got plenty of ability, so I like riding him.”

The pair have had four starts together this year, two of which ended in success at the start of the year at Kelso and Musselburgh. More recently the Green Day Racing owned horse secured second place at Aintree at the end of October, proving to be a favorable duo.

On his tail is Sam Twiston-Davies who looks forward to the upcoming fixtures, with his personal goals in mind, he said: “I always look forward to the November Cheltenham meetings, which are good fun. I don’t have favorites; I am in a lucky position to ride at a lot of the good meetings and try and enjoy them all.

Getting 100 winners in the season is something I always work towards, but it can be quite tricky.”

With 66 wins on the leaderboard Twiston-Davies is already over halfway to achieving his goal for the season which may not be too far-fetched for the 31-year-old jockey.

Second on the leaderboard but with high ambitions to make his way to the top is Harry Cobden. At the age of 24 Cobden has topped £2 million in prize money in three of the last five years and has achieved 21 Grade 1 winners.

He is hopeful for the months ahead, with several promising horses to join him on the track, he said:

“My standout would be Bravemansgame. We have got a few good hurdlers this year, Rubaud is quite a good hurdler and is probably going to be going to the Christmas hurdle on Boxing Day, so he would probably be our standout hurdler this year.

We have also got a lovely bunch of Novice chasers, one of the best would be Stay Away Faye, I am looking forward to him. We have some lovely novice hurdlers this year as well, the two stand out ones would be Captain Teague and Inthewaterside.”

Talking goals and the months ahead in the championship Cobden told Great British Racing:

“I would love to ride 100 winners this season and if I could ride five grade one winners that would be that would be a little bonus!”

He continued: “I am going to try and win the championship, but I am 34 winners behind Sean Bowen, so he is going to be very difficult to catch up. It is a matter of how well I get on between now and the end of the season in sixth months. It is going to be a tough task, and I am going to need a lot of support, but he is definitely the one to beat.”

With similar thoughts to Bowen, Cobden would also like to get a ride on the extraordinary Constitution Hill.

The winner the Jump Jockey Championship will be crowned at Sandown’s bet365 Jump Finale on Saturday 27th April 2024.

To follow the Jump Jockey Championship for the rest of the season, visit Championships – Great British Racing