This week Bill Carne was delighted to talk to James Bowen just three days after his epic win in the Welsh Grand National on Raz de Maree and wasn’t in the least surprised at how down to earth this talented 16 year old jockey from Letterston is . . .

At 16 years of age James Bowen has achieved something that most professional jockeys spend their career lifetime trying to achieve – winning a Grand National.

And that is why James, the youngest son of top trainers Peter and Karen Bowen, will never forget the 6th January 2018 because he travelled to Chepstow for the Welsh Grand National and came away with the glittering prize on his horse ‘Raz De Maree’ after they had won by six lengths from ‘Alfie Spinner’, which was coincidentally ridden by another fine young Pembrokeshire jockey in Richard Patrick.

Another interesting coincidence was the fact that whilst James was certainly the youngest jockey to win the coveted race his horse was also the oldest to be first past the post in the last 90 years!

"I had grown up watching the event and when I was 13 I led one of my dad's horses around the parade ring and although it was a 100/1 outsider I still dreamt it might win,” James told us, “and from then on I knew that I wanted to be a jockey as my job, but never once dreamt it would come so soon.

"As a conditional jockey I still have a five pounds allowance and I was offered the ride on Raz de Maree by Irish trainer Gavin Campbell a week before the original race was due to be run and I was pleased that I was still on board when it was rescheduled for last weekend and although I was a bit nervous the week before once the time approached 2.05pm on Saturday I was fine and eager to get going.

"We weren't as smooth as I hoped when we set off and were hampered by a falling horse at the very first fence but got around that problem and were doing OK for a while before we dropped back after a couple of slight errors at the large fences.

"But as we came towards the final four furlongs we started to pass a few horses and started to get up a head of steam with four fences to go so that I began to feel that we were in with a chance.

"On the run in it was something of a battle with 'Alfie Spinner', who was ridden by another Pembrokeshire jockey in Richard Patrick, who is a great friend who spent a lot of time at my parents' stables as he grew up - and a mistake at the final fence hampered us before we re-found our rhythm and were six lengths to the good as we passed the winning post.

"It was an amazing experience and I can't describe the feeling as we unsaddled and met the full force of the national press with tv, radio interviews alongside the sports writers for newspapers that were literally queuing up.”

That James should be a professional jockey comes as no surprise because of his family background and he would be the first to sing the praises of Karen and Peter for their total support and unconditional encouragement.

"They have been amazing," James told us, “and so have my brothers Micky and Sean, with Micky providing some great horses for me to ride in point to point and Sean giving me great advice when I need it on the back of his experience as a top National Hunt jockey in his own right.

"We are never competitive and all of them are just a phone call away if I want them."

James began riding on horseback almost before he could walk and amazingly, less than a year before his epic success, he was still competing in pony races and was the area champion for three successive seasons, winning a 'McCoy Award', which was presented at Cheltenham Racecourse in recognition of his talents.

He had to wait to compete at point to point until he was 16 on the 12th March 2017 and he marked this auspicious day with a winner in his first ride as he went to the Curre & Llangibby Hunt races at Howick and piloted Micky's 'Indian Ruler' to victory in his very first race.

James was brought back down to earth, quite literally, though, as the second race saw his mount 'Flying Eagle' catch the 12th fence and sent Micky hurtling in to space before landing in a heap!

Inevitably, in all the terrific successes that saw him ride 30 winners from March to June across the UK, there were disappointments - and none more so than when he rode at Lower Machen and saw 'Indian Ruler ' break down after coming third and having to be destroyed, followed by Micky's favourite horse 'Sir De Bearn' also breaking down shortly afterwards.

"It was a day to forget," admitted James.

But when he rode 'Tinkers Hill Tommy' at Cheddesley Corbett in June he had amassed 25 winners, the most ever for a novice rider, to win the coveted Dodson and Horrell Novice Award as part of the Wilkinson Sword presentation before he added another five winners.

These included a four-timer at one meeting and a hat-trick on his final day of point to pointing, appropriately at his 'home' course of Trecoed, near Fishguard, where he won with mounts supplied by David Brace, and brother Micky.

These successes inevitably attracted the attention of a number of top trainers looking to recruit conditional jockeys and after consultation with his family James decided to join the Seven Barrows Stable of champion trainer Nicky Henderson in Lambourn.

He shares a home with another conditional jockey and is full of praise for the support given by 'Mr Henderson' and the rest of the yard after admitting to being a little homesick for the first week but soon knuckling down to his new way of life where he has a set routine to follow on days where he is not racing, which has not been very many days in recent months!

"We have to be ready for work by 6.30am-ish and I start mucking out four horses until around 7.30am, when I ride those four horses on the gallops and finish for lunch at one o'clock before going back at 3.30 and starting my second bout of cleaning out the horses. It’s not very glamorous but it's part of the job and I don't mind doing it at all."

And there have been quite a few days recently when James has been racing for a variety of owners so that he is near the top of the list for the % of winners ridden in December and early January, where his winners were as follows:

11th December: Willshebetrying (10/1).

14th December: Dream Bolt (6/1).

15th December: Huntsman's Son (6/4) .

18th December: Potters Story (9/4).

20th December: Melangerie (11/2).

20th December: Relentless Dreamer (5/1).

22nd December: Chef des Obeaux (2/5).

23rd December: Limited Reserve (8/13).

26th December: Highway One O One (8/11).

3rd January: Hedgeinator (11/8).

9th January: Kohuma (7/1).

10th January: Raz de Maree (16/1).

For those who love statistics it is worth noting that since he started out in National Hunt in July he has completed 202 races and he now has 25 wins from hurdling in 140 rides and 11 first places from 62 chases to give him 36 winners that have earned owners a magnificent total of £339,006!

Throw in the fact that overall he has also picked up a total of 16 seconds, 22 thirds and 22 fourth finishes as a remarkable tribute to his consistency and it is easy to see why owners and trainers are eager to contact his agent Dave Roberts, who does a great job, as they want him in the saddle!

Small wonder as well that his parents are so proud of him - mum Karen told us that all her three sons have been youngsters that have brought great credit to the family, which is high praise indeed from someone who has been steeped in horses since her time as a very good young point to pointer.

Dad Peter recalled James’ very first pony race where he did well to come third but was disappointed by his finish - and was soon showing that competitive spirit in riding winners galore amongst the youngsters taking part.

"I knew then that James was going to be a jockey when he got older," he said.

Ask James about ambitions and he shows his matter-of-fact personality.

"I love what I am doing and just want to keep learning from people more experienced than I am. I've been amazed by the number of messages I've had since winning the Welsh Grand National and although I haven't had time to answer them all I'm very grateful to everyone who has helped me reach where I am today."

Where James is today is receiving acclamation from the likes of champion jockey Richard Johnson, who opined,

"It was absolutely fantastic for James Bowen to ride the winner of the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Raz de Maree - the first months of his career have been fantastic and he's got all the attributes to be the champion jockey one day."

High praise indeed from someone who has been around a long time and we could pay James Bowen no higher compliment and without wishing to put pressure on his young shoulders we would like to say a huge 'well done' for his amazing success and congratulate this talented but modest young feller on flying the Pembrokeshire Flag with such distinction!