Hugh Bowman aims for Group One glory: ‘I can’t wait to get there’ | Hong Kong Racing

Hugh Bowman will be looking for more racing success in Australia after scoring three Group 1 runs at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day, while Carys Titan could be ready for another mission in Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate race ( 2040 m). .

Bowman will travel to Melbourne on November 2 to team with Keeneland in the Victoria Derby (2500m), Emirate in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and Kimochi in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

He is aiming for a fourth Victoria Derby success after reigning supreme aboard Lion Tamer (2010), Sangster (2011) and Polanski (2013).

“This has been a very good day for me over the years, and it was perhaps masked a little by the success of Winx’s Cox Plate,” Bowman said.

“Flemington is where all the luck started on the big stage in Melbourne. I have fond memories and rode some great horses there. This is my favorite racetrack, so I can’t wait to get there.”

A two-time winner from five career starts, Keeneland scored a powerful listed victory over 1800m at Flemington on 5 October.

He narrowly missed out on his last start in Saturday’s Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) as the $2.2 favorite, where he was beaten third by less than a length.

“I think he’s great and the opportunity to ride him is exciting. I’ve won the Derby before through the same connections (with Sangster) so it would be nice to do it again,” Bowman said. “I haven’t looked at the market, but it must be at the top of the list.”

The 44-year-old will team up with the unraced Emirates team in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, with the Chris Waller-trained youngster hoping to build on his recent fifth place finish in the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) on September 28.

“I like the image of Emirates,” Bowman said. “I know the stable very well and I have a great relationship with Chris and the team, so I know how they work and I just think he looks unreal.”

Bowman’s final Group 1 ride at Flemington will be in the Empire Rose Stakes and Kimochi is keen to take a step forward after finishing fourth at Randwick in a Group 3 on Saturday.

While Bowman is certain to head to Australia for another overseas mission, Titan is still unsure whether he will be involved in Saturday’s Cox Plate appearance in Moonee Valley.

The Mauritian will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winners James MacDonald and Romantic Warrior if he partners the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Evaporate in the prestigious Group One, but connections are leaving a final decision on his participation until then. as he gallops on Tuesday.

Titan finished the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m) aboard Coco Sun on Saturday and is looking forward to returning to Australia this weekend.

“The guys from Hayes contacted me to see if I wanted to come and I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ I had a lot of fun last week in Melbourne, so it’s great to have such a good ride,” Titan said.

“These opportunities don’t come along all the time, but when they do, you have to take advantage of them. Evaporate performed well (finishing third) in the Caulfield Guineas and finished very well. Broadsiding ran the same race and finished fourth, so I think it was a really promising run. I can’t wait.

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