Sean leads the way after a superb year

SEAN Bowen finished the jumps season as the leading Welsh rider in terms of winners.

He notched up 68 victories and won £540,000 in prize money. His link-up with trainer Harry Fry among a host of others, which includes his father Peter, Evan Williams and Paul Nicholls, has proved fruitful.

Sean rode Metier to win his first three races for Fry, notably the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. He also partnered Nicholls’s unbeaten Monmiral in two of his four victories, won four races on The Late Legend for Tom Weston and three on the Fry pair of Momella and Ask Me Early.

Adam Wedge rode 45 winners including Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and Secret Reprieve in the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow, but his season was impacted by injury.

James Bowen had 35 winners, with Jack Tudor on 27. Lorcan Williams and Richard Patrick both had 21 successes, Connor Brace 18 and Ben Jones 17. Isabel Williams won four races in a row on Memphis Belle.

Isabel’s father, Evan, was the leading Welsh trainer with 44 winners and £676,000 in prize money. As well as the successes of Silver Streak and Secret Reprieve, he sent out Coole Cody to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The drama surrounding Saturday’s Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown had to be seen to be believed. Ogmore-by-sea trainer Christian Williams will have to wait a long time to train a more unlucky loser than Kitty’s Light, who was hampered in the closing stages by Enrilo, who was first to pass the post.

Without the interference it looked certain that Jack Tudor’s mount would have won, but unfortunately the partnership only ended in third place as Potterman finished strongly on the other side of Enrilo to claim second for James Potter, a leading owner based in Welshpool and sponsor of the Welsh Champion Hurdle.

After a stewards’ enquiry, Enrilo was placed third, with Potterman promoted to first and Kitty’s Light up to second.

On the positive side, Kitty’s Light has been a revelation this season, winning four times, and is still only five years old.

Last Friday’s jumps meeting at Chepstow was the last until October and it proved to be a night to remember for Pontypool-based permit holder Daniel Bourne. He had his first winner under rules when Nikki Steel took the handicap hurdle at odds of 33-1.

The next meeting at Ffos Las is on Monday, May 10.