By Paul Jones
Sean Bowen has underlined his status as one the UK’s top jockeys by winning the National Hunt Jockey of the Year prize at the annual Welsh Horse Racing Awards.
The 25-year-old – who is enjoying a highly successful season – picked up the award in recognition of an outstanding year during which he has ridden 116 winners at a strike rate of 21%.
That has put Bowen second in the current race to be champion jockey, with the Pembrokeshire rider having amassed 67 winners so far this season, behind only Irishman Brian Hughes.
The highlight of Bowen’s year was his win aboard Mac Tottie for his father and trainer, Peter Bowen in the Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree in April.
The dinner and awards night at the International Convention Centre at the Celtic Manor – sponsored by the Racehorse Owners Association – was a memorable night for the Bowen family, with Peter winning a Special Achievement Award for his exploits as a trainer and Sean’s brother James on the nomination list for National Hunt Jockey of the Year, alongside Adam Wedge.
Flat Racing Jockey of the Year was won by David Probert from Bargoed, who claimed over 150 winners in the last 12 months, earning £2.8m in prize money.
There was only ever going to be one winner of the Welsh flat jockey of the year…
The ‘Bullet from Bargoed’ David Probert 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/qZc9o613X3
— DragonBet (@DragonBetWales) November 4, 2022
The victories included a string of Group race winners including the Queen’s final Group winner, King’s Lynn, in the Temple Stakes, and Coltrane in the Doncaster Cup.
Flat Race Trainer of the Year went to David Evans, whose stable star Rohaan was fourth in a Group 1 on Champions Day, winner of a Group 3 and the winner – for the second year in a row – of the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Evan Williams was National Hunt Trainer of the Year after achieving 53 winners and over £900,000 in prize money in the last year.
Williams enjoyed big-race success at Sandown, Aintree and at Cheltenham, where Coole Cody added two more to his tally of valuable handicap wins, including the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival.
Flat Owner of the Year went to La Pyle Partnership for Pyledriver’s exploits which included success in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes. The Diamond Racing syndicate won the National Hunt owner prize after they struck gold with Iwilldoit in last year’s Coral Welsh Grand National.
Dans Le Vent, owned by Roger Gambarini, won the Leading Hurdler Award, Win My Wings was the Leading Chaser for her victory in the Coral Scottish Grand National and Eider Chase and Leading Flat Horse was Pyledriver.
The National Hunt Breeder of the Year award went to Steve and Jackie Fleetham for Mac Tottie with the Flat Breeder of the Year going to Knox & Wells and Roger Devlin for Pyledriver.
Wonderful to see David Brace receive the Outstanding Contribution to Welsh Horse Racing Award at last night’s @RacehorseOwners Welsh Horse Racing Awards @ICCWales.
@DunravenWindows
@Conbrace01 pic.twitter.com/RoNxbLEf4t— Chepstow Racecourse (@Chepstow_Racing) November 4, 2022
There was a Special Recognition Award for Bangor Racecourse General Manager Jeannie Chantler who retires this year. In the same category, awards were given to Cheltenham specialist chaser Coole Cody, Scottish Grand winning trainer Christian Williams as well as trainer & owners Sam Thomas/Dai Walters/James & Jean Potter.
Prime Venture picked up a Special Recognition Award for winning the Unibet Veterans’ Chase Final at Sandown and Equine Productions were also recognised for their behind the scenes Amazon Prime series Horsepower.
Blaze A Trail, a chaser who won five races in a row this year for trainer John Flint, also collected a Special Recognition award and Sam Bailey, who is based with Flint, collected the Stable Staff of the Year Award.
The Outstanding Contribution to Welsh Racing Award went to David Brace, well known across the industry as chairman of the Dunraven Group as well as his significant involvement in point to pointing and horse racing as an owner and trainer.