The last Welsh jockey to win the Gold Cup reckons that record may need updating before the end of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. It’s now 15 years since Sam Thomas became the last Welshman to ride to glory and win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, when he saddled the magnificent Denman to victory over great rival, Kauto Star in 2008.

Welsh pride, generosity, and a love for top sport will all be on show on Sunday, March 5 when Ffos Las Race Course hosts its Proud to be Welsh Raceday. On the weekend of the St. David’s Day week, the course will offer a chance to celebrate the best of Welsh music, culture and sport as well as an opportunity to support victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Alongside a variety of on-course entertainment, there will be collections and a charity auction – run by the Rotary Club – to raise funds for the Disaster Emergencies Committee Appeal.

Sean Bowen has underlined his status as one the UK’s top jockeys by winning the National Hunt Jockey of the Year prize at the annual Welsh Horse Racing Awards. The 25-year-old – who is enjoying a highly successful season – picked up the award in recognition of an outstanding year during which he has ridden 116 winners at a strike rate of 21%. That has put Bowen second in the current race to be champion jockey, with the Pembrokeshire rider having amassed 67 winners so far this season, behind only Irishman Brian Hughes.

Pembrokeshire’s Peter Bowen landed another big race win when when his six -year-old Lord Napier, partnered by his son Sean Bowen, came home a nine lengths winner (writes Brian Lee). Lord Napier’s success, ahead of Coole Cody in the 888Sport Heroes Handicap Hurdle, was at Sandown Park. It was worth £56,270 to the winner. In a field […]

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.

The Bowen brothers begin their Cheltenham Festival campaign on Tuesday afternoon, with both young Welsh jockeys having rides in the early races. James – who at just 16 became the youngest jockey to win the Welsh National in January – rides Shantou Flyer in the Ultima Handicap Chase at 2.50pm, with older brother Sean, 19, aboard Minella Daddy in the same race. Before then, Sean is also riding in the opening race, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 13.30, on Simply The Betts.