A full book of rides at today’s last Metropolitan meeting at Canterbury will guarantee Hugh Bowman takes out the 2014 – 2015 Sydney’s jockey premiership.
Hugh Bowman is set to wrap up the Sydney jockey’s premiership at Canterbury today. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Bowman heads to the track today with ninety-four wins for the season, two and a half ahead of his nearest rival, last year’s title holder, James McDonald.
A late season surge of winners put Bowman in the box seat to win his third champion’s title after finishing at the top of the leader board in 2008 – 2009 and in 2011 – 2012.
A four win haul at Warwick Farm a week ago followed by a winning double at Canterbury last Saturday saw Bowman skip clear of McDonald and Blake Shinn who heads to Canterbury today on ninety and a half wins.
Bowman will be on four favourites on the seven race program with Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride providing two of them, High Above, marked at $4 with Ladbrokes.com.au in the Race 6, the BenchMark 75 Handicap (1550m) and Shadow Lord ($2.70) in the last race on the card the Bledisloe Cup Festival BenchMark 70 Handicap (1550m).
The Gary Portelli trained Sebring Sun is the early $3.80 favourite for the Maiden Handicap (1200m) and all of Bowman’s skills will be tested with the Sebring colt having to jump from the outside of the thirteen horse field.
Marple Miss from the Kris Lees stable has also drawn wide for Bowman but the bookies have still installed her as the $3.20 favourite in the Schweppes BenchMark 75 Handicap (1250m).
Lees will also leg Bowman up onto Raido who is well in the betting at $6.50 in the BenchMark 70 Handicap (1100m).
Bowman will kick off the day for Pride on Hypernicus, a $6.50 chance in the Hyland Race Colours BenchMark 69 Handicap (1900m) and he will also be aboard the Tim Martin trained Pick Me Up, also in the market at $6.50 in the McGrath Estate Agents Maiden Plate (1250m).
McDonald looks very unlikely to peg back Bowman’s lead from only four rides on the program: Race 1, Shelley’s Girl ($5.50), Race 3, Russet ($6.50), Race 4, Shahrazad ($8.50) and Niazca ($16) in Race 6.
Bowman had already taken the honours for the most Group 1 races won during the racing year with nine, three ahead of McDonald on six with Shinn riding five.
