Bowen relentless in bid to match McCoy's greatness

SEAN Bowen's relentless march to a second jockeys’ championship is showing no signs of slowing down whatsoever and the rider has drawn comparisons with the legendary Sir Anthony McCoy.

- JAMES BURN

McCoy was champion a record 20 times and dominated the sport like no other.

In 2001-02 he rode 289 winners, eclipsing the 269 set by Sir Gordon Richards on the flat in 1947, while no jockey in either code has come close to McCoy's 4,348 in Britain and Ireland.

While those numbers might be hard for Bowen to reach, he is riding with ferocious enthusiasm and determination.

At the start of play yesterday morning, he had recorded 118 winners, putting him 69 clear of his younger brother James.

That tally of 118 is already more than all bar one of his rivals rode in the whole of last season, so it is no wonder he has all but sealed a second title, earning those McCoy comparisons in the process.

A recent run of ten winners from 12 rides led him nicely into Cheltenham’s first meeting of the autumn on Friday when he landed the novice chase on the Olly Murphy-trained Alnilam.