Mickey Bowen breaks new ground with Ffos Las winner

Mickey Bowen registered his first winner as a sole trainer when Gavin won the Backing Welsh Racing – DragonBet Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.

Ridden by his brother Sean, the 5-6 favourite came home nine and a half lengths clear of Formel Park.

The new champion jockey was completing a treble on the card, having also won on Golan Loop (8-15 favourite) for Warren Greatrex and Stumps Or Slips (5-4 favourite) for his main backer Olly Murphy.

But providing his brother with a first success since their father, Peter, officially came off the licence gave him great pleasure.

“It’s amazing to ride his first winner, it’s great to get him a winner,” said Sean on Sky Sports Racing.

Asked about how their professional relationship will work, he joked: “Dad says I don’t listen anyway, so I can’t imagine I’ll be listening much now, but he’ll do the training, I’ll do the riding and we’ll leave it at that.”

Mickey commented: “I don’t know if the plan was to go that fast, but it was brilliant and he did it well in the end, so it was really good.

“It was brilliant to get a first winner for Heddwyn (Jones, owner), who has been one of dad’s best friends for years, to get it for him was really good as well.

“We had 45 winners last year, me and dad, so if we got to 50 this year it would be great. We’ll just keep trying to train more winners and go from there.”