James Bowen Bounces Back at Ffos Las

The life of a National Hunt jockey has its ups and downs at the best of times, but, by any standards, James Bowen endured a remarkable afternoon at Ffos Las on Saturday.

Heading to Wales for five rides at the Carmarthenshire venue, the 23-year-old rider enjoyed a solid start to the card, with two third-placed finishes from his first three rides. So far, so unremarkable. Little did he know what was to come.

As far as ways to end a race go, finding yourself flat on your belly with a racehorse lying on top of you likely features some way down the list of most jockeys. Unfortunately, Bowen found himself in just such a predicament at the end of race five on the card. Enough to require a long lie down in a darkened room, you would imagine. But not for Bowen, who dusted himself down to come home in front in his very next race.

Surfs Down in South Wales

The Class 5 DragonBet Still Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle (Div II) provided the stage for Bowen’s rather crushing defeat. Setting off aboard the Warren Greatrex-trained mare Saunton Surf, Bowen looked to be in with a chance of breaking his duck for the afternoon approaching the second last.

Hopes of victory dwindled as Saunton Surf began to tire, but she at least looked likely to stay on for second and hand her rider another placed result. However, those hopes disappeared when the mare made a juddering error at the last, sending Bowen face-first into the turf. To make matters worse, the winded mare rolled over on top of her unshipped rider, pinning Bowen’s legs between her half-tonne self and the soggy Welsh turf.

That’s not a great place to be for even a fleeting moment, but unfortunately for Bowen, Saunton Surf wasn’t for moving. Quickly attended to by the on-site staff, the jockey faced a prolonged wait whilst the rescue party decided whether to roll the mare off or lift her and drag him out from underneath.

Thankfully, the decision to sedate the mare in the meantime removed a little stress from the situation, with Bowen summing up his unfortunate position when stating:

“It was a no-brainer to sedate her as my head was right in the firing line of her hooves, and if she had struggled my head would’ve been a football getting a right kicking.”

With the mare comfortable and relaxed, her back end was lifted as Bowen was dragged to safety. Happily, having recovered her breath, Saunton Surf eventually climbed back to her feet and returned home unscathed.

Bowen Back Up and Running

The whole incident resulted in a 30-minute delay to racing. However, Bowen never contemplated that his afternoon was over. Undeterred, despite unsurprising pins and needles in his legs, the steadfast rider was back in the saddle for his next booked ride aboard Keep Running in the Download The DragonBet App Handicap Chase.

Also hailing from the Warren Greatrex yard, Keep Running avoided the jumping mishap of his stablemate on route to an all-the-way five-length success. Pinned to the turf at 2:30 and parading around the Winner’s Enclosure at 3:40 – James Bowen is likely to experience many more highs and lows throughout his career, but surely no single afternoon will match this rollercoaster.

James Bowen’s Ffos Las Rides on Saturday 11th January 2025

Race Horse (SP) Trainer Position
12:12 Malinificent (11/1) Warren Greatrex Fourth
12:42 Johnny’s Jury (6/1) Nicky Henderson Third
1:51 Korus (16/1) Warren Greatrex Third
2:25 Saunton Surf (11/2) Warren Greatrex Fell
3:31 Keep Running (10/3) Warren Greatrex Winner