Sean Bowen Saturday rides blog: 'He's a promising ride to have picked up'

Sean Bowen shares his latest Saturday rides blog with Coral, exclusively previewing his action at Sandown on April 26 as we approach the end of the season.

Final day of the season, and what a season it’s been. It’s beginning to sink in that I’m going to be champion jockey, something I’ve dreamed about since I was a boy. I have so many people to thank, mum and dad, obviously, and my brothers, all the owners and trainers that have supported me through my career, the other jockeys who have given me advice and help, champions like Brian Hughes, AP, Richard Johnson, it will take some time for me to consider myself a champion like them.

 I’ve had a great week, winning the Irish National, and riding a treble at Perth on Thursday, so hopefully I can keep it going until the end. I start the day on Nardaran in this valuable and competitive novice handicap hurdle. As a 4-y-o it won’t be easy against older rivals, but he won well at Taunton last time, is lightly-raced, and trained by one of the best [Paul Nicholls]. We don’t know how well handicapped he is, but he’s a promising ride to have picked up.

Classic Anthem runs his best races here at Sandown, and won nicely here for me last month, a victory that saw his mark go up five pounds, which I hope he can cope with. In that form I hope he will take a lot of beating here, he’s getting weight from all of the others so he does need to improve, but he gave me the feel that he could last time.