In an exclusive interview with BoyleSports, trainer Olly Murphy has hailed Sean Bowen as the best jockey in Britain.
Murphy shares why Bowen’s dedication and natural talent set him apart from other riders while also discussing his exciting partnership with the young jockey. The conversation also dives into Murphy’s experience with Gordon Elliott’s training methods, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the Irish training scene so dominant.
Plus, Murphy reflects on the importance of investing in quality horses and how the balance of power in racing may soon shift. Get the behind the scenes scoop on everything from jockeys to trainers in this exclusive interview.
Remember that you can bet on the latest Cheltenham Odds at BoyleSports
Sean Bowen Can Win Jockeys’ Championship This Year
I think he can. He's just got to keep doing what he's doing. He's a big asset to me, and we've got a really good working relationship.
I don't see any reason why he can’t be the champion. He's riding better than ever, and hopefully, we've still got plenty of ammunition to run now for the rest of the season for him.
This Is What Makes Sean Bowen Special
His dedication, his work ethic, and obviously he's got a lot of natural ability. He’s been a good rider for a while now, but he's still got youth on his side. He’s a great judge of pace, and he's just a very, very good all-round jockey.
Sean Bowen The Best In The Business?
I personally think he is. We've got some very good jockeys in Britain at the moment, with Harry Skelton, Harry Cobden, Sam Twiston Davies and Gavin Sheehan among them. He’s riding as well as anyone, if not better than everyone. Confidence also plays a big part.
I like to think I instil confidence in him and vice versa. He instils confidence in me as a trainer as well. That's a big thing in sports. And when you've got plenty of confidence, it comes out in your riding.
What I Learned From Gordon Elliott
I speak to him plenty. He’s been very good to me since I have come home. He keeps everything simple. He has a good team around him and a good routine,
He's obviously very good at his job at training racehorses as well. He keeps himself in the best company and gets winners at all levels. He's very good at that.
These Two Horses Were Special
Don Cossack and Tiger Roll were the best horses at Gordon's when I was around. There was another very good horse called No More Heroes who got a bad injury in the RSA.
Tiger Roll and Don Cossack were two very special horses and shouldn’t forget Apple’s Jade. I learned loads there and had a fantastic time there.
What Makes The Irish Super Yards Different To The Rest
They're very, very good trainers, they have an awful lot of horses and they are spending an awful lot of money on horses and they are winning most battles in the sales ring. It’s pretty straightforward, to be honest!
Do I think Gavin, Gordon and Willie are better trainers than the best in England? No, I don’t. They are very good at what they do but they are training a lot of quality as well. They have got big owners, they've got big spending power, and they've got a lot of horses that cost plenty of money with good pedigrees, and when you've got enough of them, you tend to win more than people that don't.
It's so important that you've owners that will go and win in the sales ring that will give you that chance to go and win on the race track.
Winning In The Sales Ring Still The Key To Success
Figures will tell you Gordon hasn't got the quality that Willie's got. All the same, he's got more quality than most.
I can't tell you how important it is if you don't go and win in the sales ring if you don't go and buy the best horses or with the most potential, you aren’t going to go and win the big races, and that's the long and short of it – you'll win less than everyone else.
The Pendulum Could Be Starting To Swing In Our Direction
You can moan and groan about it as much as you want, but until we go and take them on in the sales ring, then we're not going to be beating them on the racetrack.
They're better all around than us at the moment; hopefully, the pendulum is turning, and it won't be long before it turns around a bit more again.
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