Champion jockey Hugh Bowman plans to ride through the Sydney winter for the first time in several years as he takes a fresh approach to the upcoming season.
Bowman usually takes an extended break during July, traditionally one of the sport’s quieter periods, but this year he will shake things up.
With a full book of 10 mounts at Rosehill on Saturday, Bowman is hoping to keep his good form and momentum rolling over the coming weeks to ensure he is at optimum fitness for the start of the new season on August 1.
“For me, it’s about being mentally prepared and having myself physically fit,” Bowman said on Sky Sports radio.
“In recent years I’ve had most, if not all, of July off and I have just been on the back foot all through August and into September.
“This year I am trying to do it a bit differently and I want to ride through the winter and have myself physically on the front foot at the start of August.”
Going into Wednesday’s Kensington meeting, Bowman was in second place behind runaway leader James Mcdonald in the Sydney jockeys’ premiership with 66 metropolitan wins, five clear of the third placed Tommy Berry.
He has been focused on riding at a consistently high level this term and says overall, he has been pleased with his form and results.
“I have been really focusing on having more consistency in my riding,” Bowman said.
“I’ve had four or five Group 1 winners. Forbidden Love has been a very welcome addition to my team this year, she was great in the autumn.
“But that aside, it has just been really good to get that consistency throughout the lesser meetings.
“That has been my plan going into the spring, trying to keep that consistency rolling into the winter – something I haven’t done in recent years – and see if we can go into next season with a little more momentum than I have been.”
Bowman’s mounts on Saturday include stayer Our Candidate and the improving Per Inaway, both for leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, along with the Richard and Will Freedman-trained Love Tap, who will be looking to maintain his unbeaten second-up record in the Vale Nick Moraitis Handicap (1500m).