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- James Bowen . . . The Welsh Teenager Coming Up On The Rails To Challenge Racing’S Elite
The Coral Welsh Grand National takes place at Chepstow on December 27 – a race won in memorable style last year by then 16-year-old jockey James Bowen. Since then, the young Welsh rider has continued to give further glimpses of his rare talent, as champion jockey Richard Johnson told Rob Cole.
Richard Johnson may have been the champion jump jockey for the last three years, but he knows he has to keep looking over his shoulder at the youngsters lining up to knock him off his perch.
Firstly, there was Sean Bowen and now there is James Bowen – a double assault from a Pembrokeshire farm that is threatening to destabilise the old order.
Where the 41-year-old Johnson once trod, being named as the Conditional Champion Jockey in 1995, so both Bowens have followed in his footsteps.
But while Johnson first had his outstanding potential earmarked at the age of 18, Sean was 17 and James even younger at 16. The odd thing is, Johnson couldn’t be happier to see the two Bowens reaching the top of the game so early in their careers.
Unbelievable to be able too get into the top 3 for the young sports personality award https://t.co/q6Ga2F3geR
— James Bowen (@james_bowen_) October 19, 2018
James recently added the BBC Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year title to his Rising Star prize at the Welsh Horse Racing Awards. The UK Rising Star title, commonly known as the Lesters, takes place on 22 December, while he is also one of four nominees for the ‘At The Races Jump Ride of the Year’ for his win on Raz De Maree at the Coral Welsh Grand National.
“James is a fantastic jockey. I know his family very well and his mum and dad helped me to get going when I first started. James wasn’t even born then,” says Johnson.
“For him to be doing so well now, to be so high up in the big races, and in the order of Nicky Henderson’s jockeys, at such a young age, is incredible. He is very tidy, strong and fit and he does all the right things at the right time.
“That is down to his natural talent, but also because he works hard at it. There aren’t many jockeys who would be as strong as he is at his age. It usually takes you a few years to get to where he is and not look out of place against professional jockeys, but he has just jumped straight in.
“He is still very young, but he has got a very bright future. He is already right at the top of the tree and, fingers crossed, he has got a fantastic career ahead of him with all the big races.
“I am very lucky to be champion jockey at the moment, but with young lads like him around it is only going to become harder and harder over the years. I’m sure that’s where he would love to be in the future.”
If his Welsh National victory at the age of sweet sixteen – he was only three years older than his mount – naturally grabbed all the headlines, there was much more to his year than that. He won more than £713,000 in prize money during the season as he rode 57 winners in 335 races.
A case of keeping up with his older brother, Sean, perhaps. He was the Conditional Jump Jockey champion in 2014/15 and rode 40 winners in a stellar first season for eight time legendary champion trainer Paul Nicholls in his first season as a professional rider.
“It was pretty obvious that James was going to follow in the footsteps of his brother given the family background,” said Johnson.
“Sean is a fantastic jockey and both he and James are top class. Their other brother is at home training as well as getting ready to take over from his father – they are just an amazing family.
“As jockeys, we get followed around by an ambulance every day. As soon as you feel you are up and having a great day, you know there is a fall coming along somewhere in the future. We all look after each other and most of us ride seven days a week through the winter.
“If there is anything James is worried about, we are all there to help him. He hasn’t needed much help so far because he has found his feet and I am sure he is going to be around for a long time.
“I don’t think I have ever seen anyone at the age of 16 hit the ground running like he has. We are very lucky here in Britain to have pony racing, which wasn’t around when I started, and that has been a massive help for both Sean and James and lots of younger jockeys.
“Even so, whether it is Sam Twiston-Davies or any of the younger jockeys coming through, to have made such an impact at such a young age is incredible. Racing in Wales is really strong at the moment.
“You’ve got Peter Thomas, who has been around for a long time, Rebecca Curtis, who is down by them, Tim Vaughan, Evan Williams and there are more and more trainers popping up all the time.
It’s finally here and we can’t stop watching it have you got your tickets for the @Coral Welsh Grand National yet? #HorseRacing #CoralWelshGrandNational #BiggestRaceInWales #Wales #WGN2018 #PrideofWales #NationalHuntRacing pic.twitter.com/Lpongm0Yft
— Chepstow Racecourse (@Chepstow_Racing) November 30, 2018
“Fos Las is a relatively new course that has been added to Chepstow down south and things are really looking good for the future. Welsh racing is doing really well and, if anything, is growing.”
There are 67 entries for this month’s Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on 27 December, with defending champion Raz De Maree among eight Irish horses.
The Bowen boys’ father, Peter, will be hoping his top horse, Ron’s Dream, can take the prize this time
The 2016 Irish Grand National hero Rogue Angel, and Grade Two winner Monbeg Notorious, are set for the race, along with dual Scottish Grand National winner Vicente. Rock The Kasbah is another of the fancied horses.
“The highlight of the year for me was definitely winning the Welsh Grand National, but being the Champion Conditional Jump Jockey at the end of the year was great as well,” said James.
“It has been a really good year for me and Sean is doing really well. I’m not even the best rider in the family yet.
“We’ve been around horses all our lives. I didn’t start riding until I was about eight or nine. Mum and Dad never really forced us into it and that is why we do it. It isn’t just a job, it is a hobby.
“I am still a long way off being as good as the top riders. I haven’t really got any targets. I just want to ride as many winners as I can. It is all about riding for the right people, the big trainers and not making a mistake.
Well done to friend of @Chepstow_Racing, @Redknapp for winning @imacelebrity #ImACeleb #ImACelebFinal pic.twitter.com/HvEDOvRZbL
— Chepstow Racecourse (@Chepstow_Racing) December 9, 2018
“The Grand National would be amazing to win, as would any race at the Cheltenham Festival. They are the ones where you want to really put your name out there.
“Both Sean and I rode in the Grand National this year. He got round, but I didn’t. I pulled up, which was just as well because I think I would have come off otherwise.
“It was my first national. It was very good and I had a spin over the fences in a race the day before.
“It would have been even better if I’d been on a horse that had a chance of winning. It is the biggest race of the year and everyone wants to win it. There are 40 riders and everyone thinks they’ve got a chance regardless of the horse they are on.”
There are likely to be a few big head-to-heads on the race courses of Britain over the next decade or so and the family race is well and truly on to become the first Welsh winner of the Grand National since Carl Llewellyn rode Earth Summit to victory at Aintree in 1998.
