Episode 451: Hugh Bowman

Hugh Bowman wasn’t where I expected him to be when we finally pinned him down for this interview. When I spoke to him a few days earlier he was still in Hong Kong undergoing physiotherapy for the legacy of injuries sustained in a race fall on November 11th. A short time later he made a snap decision to visit his parents in Mudgee.  He wasn’t long off the connecting flight to the central western town when he very kindly joined us on the podcast. This interview goes close to one and a quarter hours. We could have doubled that duration. When you talk to Hugh Bowman, it’s a case of what you include and what you leave out. The champion jockey talks of his flight from Hong Kong. Hugh says he’s making better than expected progress after a fall that could have had more serious consequences. He expresses gratitude for the support of wife Christine and daughters Bambi and Paige in the wake of the accident. He talks of a smooth transition into the Hong Kong education system. Hugh shares vivid recollections of the Sha Tin fall. He explains that the announcement of Joao Moreira’s departure from Hong Kong motivated his decision to take up a short term contract. Hugh says he’s following in the footsteps of Darren Beadman who intended to finish his career in Hong Kong. He talks of the strong racing influence in the Bowman family. The much travelled jockey remembers his secondary education at the famous Scots College in Sydney. Hugh reiterates the story of his days as an amateur rider and the thrill of his first win. He looks back on his first serious apprenticeship to Bathurst trainer Leanne Aspros. Hugh remembers with sadness the trackwork accident that terminated the career of champion bush jockey Bill Aspros. He and Bill were galloping horses side by side when the mishap occurred. He remembers his first win as a professional jockey at Gulgong and his first for Leanne Aspros. The top horseman looks back on his initial association with a really topline horse. Hugh fondly remembers his first ever Gr 1 win in 2004. By this time he’d lost his heart to a charming Irish colleen who’d returned home after a stint in Sydney. He says he was on the next plane to Ireland. He looks bacon a chance meeting with English trainer Mick Channon and a subsequent English riding contract. We fast forward to Hugh’s association with the classy filly Samantha Miss who gave him his first Victorian Gr 1 success. He talks of his Sydney premiership wins- four in total. He says it should have been five. Hugh reminisces about winning rides on So You Think, Reliable Man, Racing To Win, Preferment and Shoot Out. He talks about some of the major races in which he’s had multiple success. The champion jockey says his Golden Slipper win on Farnan is among his greatest thrills even though the race was run at a deserted Rosehill Gardens. Hugh speaks of his Asian riding highlights with special mention of the John Moore trained Werther. He goes on to talk of a win in the Japan Cup of 2017 which clinched his induction as the Longines Best Jockey Of The Year. He has some positive thoughts on the true meaning of the honour. We deliberately left Winx until last. Hugh has answered the predictable questions many times over. We talked more about his long association with the freakish mare and the degree of pressure involved. During the course of his reflections he touches on his admiration for a special group of outstanding overseas riders. Seventy five minutes passed very quickly. We left things out which will have to wait for another day. I’m grateful to Hugh for making himself available after a long voyage from Hong Kong to Mudgee, and less than three weeks after a nasty race fall. Many thanks Hugh.