Sean Bowen: He’s definitely one of the classier horses in the field

Jockey and Coral ambassador Sean Bowen previews his three rides at Chepstow on Friday.

Chepstow 1.35 – Thomas Darby

He’s obviously been a very good horse in the past, and he showed he still retains plenty of that ability when winning in a small field at Ayr last season. He then struggled in the Grade 1 at Aintree when nothing really went right for him, but it’s very difficult to place a horse like that when they have such a high rating but are probably just short of top class.

He’s now eligible for these veterans’ races which is great as it gives a horse like him a bit of a chance, even off such a high mark. He’s definitely one of the classier horses in the field, so even though he has plenty of weight, he’s a good jumper and I’d be hoping he can go very close.

He has gone well fresh in the past, but as they get older I just think these horses find things tougher in general, so that’s where these veterans’ races come in really handy. You often see horses win these sorts of races, then when they go back into a normal handicap they really struggle, so it’s just great to have races for horses like Thomas Darby (pictured below) who probably just aren’t quite as good as they once were.

Chepstow 2.10 – Resplendent Grey

Even though he has a bit to find on ratings, I think he has plenty more to come this horse, so I’m looking forward to getting back on him. His form looks pretty solid, and even though he was a bit green when he won his maiden hurdle at Wetherby, I felt he was much more streetwise at Perth last time, so I think he’ll improve again.

He’s just improving a little bit with every run, so I think he can definitely prove he’s better than a mark of 120, and although this will be his toughest task to date, I’d be hopeful he could run into a place at the very least.