Sean Bowen Friday rides blog: 'He will be competitive once again'

Coral ambassador and leading jockey Sean Bowen gives this thoughts on his four rides on Friday at Cheltenham.

This horse put in an excellent performance at this course last month, finishing second at a huge price in a competitive handicap. His mark has been moved 5lb, which makes life harder. He is only a four-years-old, so he does remain open to improvement. With a low weight here, I am sure he will be competitive once again. 

He’s been an excellent horse for his connections, but he has had a long time off the track. This is his first run in almost two years. In his prime, this horse was rated as high as 160, so if he did produce his best, he’d be more than capable of winning. However, given how long he has been off, he is entitled to need this run to shake off those cobwebs.

I am looking forward to riding this horse. He ran well around this Cross Country Course at the November Meeting where he probably just did too much in the opening stages of the race. He was leading the field at the halfway point, but then just got tired in the home straight. I will probably ride him more quietly this time and hope he finishes the race well. 

This horse has been frustrating this season. He has finished second on all four of his starts, so he is nothing if not consistent. One thing that is bound to benefit him is the 3m. He always stays on to the finish line. In each of the last four runs, I’ve done something different on him and got the same result. I am convinced this trip will give him an excellent chance of going one place better. 

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