Bowman gears up well for big week

HONG KONG - A riding double at Sha Tin on Dec 7 could not have given top jockey Hugh Bowman a better warm-up ahead of the big week ahead.

The Australian first scored on the John Size-trained Wukong Jewellery ($89) in the first section of the Class 4 Kimberley Handicap (1400m), before prevailing on Gorgeous Win ($82) in the Class 2 Chatham Handicap (1,200m, dirt).

In strong form after five wins across the last five meetings, Bowman will compete against 11 rivals at the four-race Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on Dec 10.

On Dec 14, he will then ride Moments In Time, Helios Express, Red Lion and Massive Sovereign in the four Group 1s at the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR).

Bowman was pleased with Gorgeous Win’s debut on dirt.

“It was a good win. He’s been out of form but he’s been feeling good at home on the track, so it might have been a confidence thing with him,” he said. “I feel he hasn’t been giving enough effort.

“His work on Thursday morning (Dec 4) was very encouraging and I think the change to the All-Weather was the difference because today we saw him compete – I’m very proud of him.”

Bowman believes the 2025 IJC is wide open, with the winner of the annual showcase likely to be decided by the luck of the draw.

“I’d say all of the jockeys that are in the competition this year have all ridden there, so they’re more familiar with it,” he said.

“They’re all, obviously, world-class riders, and I think it’s going to be more determined by what horses are drawn than anything else.”

Bowman is no stranger to the jockeys’ challenge format and it would be fair to say he is something of an expert in the discipline.

He won the IJC in 2016 as well as Ascot’s Shergar Cup in 2007 as captain of the Rest of the World team.

He is also the only non-European rider to have twice won the illustrious Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle, awarded to the individual jockey with the most Shergar Cup points.

Combining with Bowman on Gorgeous Win, trainer Danny Shum also laid the foundations for renewed success at the flagship HKIR meeting by enjoying a morale-boosting double ahead of his even bolder bid – a fourth successive HK$40 million Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) win with globetrotting champion Romantic Warrior.

The Hong Kong trainer’s earlier winner was Foremost Teddy ($24) with Karis Teetan up in the opener, the Class 5 Ashley Handicap (1,650m, dirt).

Shum moved into outright third in the 2025/26 trainers’ championship with 20 wins, behind Mark Newnham (24) and Caspar Fownes (21), as he prepares to saddle Romantic Warrior to a Hong Kong record 11th Group 1 triumph. HKJC