Sean D Bowen vs Joe Leavy

Features | 16^th October 2024

The race to be Champion Apprentice Jockey looks set to go down to the wire

The race to be Champion Apprentice Jockey looks set to go down to the wire. Sean Dylan Bowen and Joe Leavy will go head-to-head over the last few days of the season.

It promises to be a thrilling climax to the champion apprentice battle. Sean appeared to have poached a winning lead but Joe has come storming into the picture with a hot run of form.

Here we look at this season’s two star apprentices.

Sean Dylan Bowen

Racing fans could have been forgiven for doing a double-take when an apprentice with the same name as the top jumps jockey burst on to the Flat racing scene.

After inserting his middle initial into his racecard moniker, it was soon obvious he was going to be involved in a title race himself. Sean had already ridden more than 30 winners in Ireland when he switched to Britain in the spring.

The nephew of celebrated owner/breeder/trainer John Nallen, had come through the pony racing circuit and he was still at school when he rode his first winner as a16-year-old apprentice.

He was based in Ireland when British racing switched to the turf at Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting. A trip over to partner Destinado in the apprentice handicap prompted a switch to his winning-trainer James Owen and he has never looked back.

A steady stream of victories – fueled by his Newmarket-based boss – made him the one to beat in the apprentices’ title race.

William Haggas, David O’Meara and James Ferguson have been among 20 trainers to supply Sean with winners.

He’s going to remain very busy over the next few days as the attempts to seal the apprentice title.

The 19-year-old, who grew up dreaming of winning the biggest jumps races when riding out his uncle’s point-to-pointers as youngster, could end up being crowned champion on Flat racing’s greatest day.

Joe Leavy

A horrific fall on the gallops as a 16-year-old nearly ended Joe’s riding career before it had even got going. He suffered a fractured skull and had to have around 70 staples in his head to hold it together.

Just three years later, he goes into the final few days of the season with a live chance of winning the Champion Apprentice title.

It looked far from likely in the early months of the season but the son of former trainer Barry Leavy has stormed into contention with the strongest of finishes.

He rode 15 winners in August, followed it up with another eight in September and has carried his red-hot form into the final weeks of the season.

His profile was helped by winning the prestigious Dash Handicap at Epsom on Derby day for trainer James Evans.

A talented schoolboy footballer player in the youth set-ups at Stoke City and Crewe Alexandra, he always had an ambition to make it as a jockey.

After joining Richard Hannon’s powerful stable, he was following in some illustrious footprints.

The Classic-winning trainer had helped set top jockeys Ryan Moore, Tom Marquand, Hollie Doyle and Rossa Ryan on the path to racing stardom.

As well as Hannon and Evans, Ian Williams, Hugo Palmer and Ralph Beckett have provided winners for the 19-year-old’s title quest.It is going to be an exciting final few days of the season and Joe heads into the closing stages of the title race in superb form.