Sean Bowen Saturday rides blog: 'He gives me a good chance of riding a winner'
Sean Bowen has two rides at Sandown on January 3, and he previews them both for Coral. In his latest blog, our ambassador all gives his hopes for 2026.
Sean Bowen Saturday rides blog - January 3, 2026
Sean Bowen Saturday rides schedule
Dominic's Fault - Sandown - 13:15 race odds
Imaginarium - Sandown - 15:35 race odds
1.15 – Dominic’s Fault
Dominic’s Fault is running in a seniors’ handicap hurdle here, which should make life a little easier for him. I thought his run at Newbury first time out was good. He travelled nicely and just got tired in the closing stages. He will have come on loads for that. Olly has given him a wind-op since then. I think he should go nicely here, and he gives me a good chance of riding a winner.
3.35 – Imaginarium
Imaginarium hasn’t run for a while. He finished off last season strongly, winning at Perth over this distance. Unfortunately, we are up against horses who have already had a run this season, so they are likely to be much sharper, especially up Sandown’s hill towards the finish line. However, if he can return in the same form as last spring, he should run well.
Hopes For 2026
My goals at the start of the season were to ride 200 winners and a Cheltenham Festival winner, and those remain for the new year. Obviously, I am in great shape for the former. But, in jumps racing, you are only one fall away from being out for a while, so I will be doing my best to ride as many winners as I can in the early stages of 2026.
Haiti Couleurs gave me one of the moments of 2025 in the Coral Welsh Grand National. He is on course for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, so that is something to look forward to in the Blue Riband event of the Festival. Rebecca Curtis has spoken about the possibility of him running in the Denman Chase before then for his final prep run.
I am also sure Olly Murphy will have a few runners across the week at Cheltenham. His horses remain in great form. So, let’s hope 2026 can be even better than 2025!
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