Boy from Dunedoo world’s best
Hugh Bowman is officially the World’s Best Jockey after he capped a remarkable year with a brilliant ride to win the Japan Cup on Cheval Grand in Tokyo on Sunday.
The champion Australian jockey, who is riding on a shortterm contract in Japan until Christmas, sat three back on the fence before pulling Cheval Grand to the centre of the track in the straight to gun down favourite Kitasan Black in the final 200m. Cheval Grand had never won a Group 1 race before and held off the late challenge of Japanese Derby winner Rey de Oro to win, with Kitasan Black holding on for third. Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time ridden by Kiwi Cory Parish finished in a dead heat for 12th.
The win was Bowman’s 16th Group 1 victory in 2017 from 47 rides, to go with his fourth Sydney jockeys’ premiership and his great association with Winx, which delivered six Group 1 wins for the year, including a third Cox Plate.
‘‘It has been a highlight season. This has been my most amazing year since I started riding, 20 years ago,’’ Bowman said. ‘‘Obviously my association with Winx [has been a highlight]. She is a world famous racehorse. She is the best horse on turf in the world.’’
The win secured Bowman the title of World’s Best Jockey after he won 10 of the top 100 races in the world in three different countries.
Bowman won Group 1s in Hong Kong on Werther, twice, and Lucky Bubbles.