Hugh Bowman showed he is in top form ahead of Wednesday’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) by slamming home a brilliant double at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The top rider picked Luke Ferraris’ pocket to snag the final slot at the coveted competition and he tuned up in the best possible way with a pair of typically cool rides.

It was a well-needed change of fortune for Bowman, who had to endure three seconds at the Valley on Wednesday night but was in no mood for that to happen again when winning the feature Class Two Chatham Handicap (1,200m) aboard the Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Gorgeous Win.

It was a striking win from the son of Press Statement, who had struggled since finishing fifth in Group Two company last season but returned to form with a vengeance, storming home from midfield to steal the prize away from Sing Dragon by a cosy length.

“It was a good win. He’s been out of form but he’s been feeling good at home on the track so it might have been a confidence thing with him,” Bowman said. “I feel he hasn’t been giving enough effort.

“His work on Thursday morning was very encouraging and I think the change to the all-weather was the difference because today we saw him compete. I’m very proud of him.”

It was the second leg of a Bowman brace, with the 45-year-old teaming up with John Size to win section one of the Class Four Kimberley Handicap (1,400m) aboard Wukong Jewellery.

Tucked away in midfield turning into the straight, Bowman tanked into contention down the middle of the track and settled proceedings in a matter of strides, steaming away from his rivals to win by two lengths.

That was also the first leg of a double for Size, who watched Stellar Express live up to his name in the Class Three Middle Handicap (1,000m) under Brenton Avdulla.

Drawn well in stall 13, Avdulla was never able to get onto the rail as he was pestered early by Lucky Eight, but that made no difference to the outcome, with the pair careering away to beat Fast Responder by a length and a quarter.

Shum also enjoyed a double on the day, with Foremost Teddy collecting the opening Class Five Ashley Handicap (1,650m) under an enterprising Karis Teetan ride.

Drawn in stall three, the pair were slow out of the gates, but Teetan hustled his mount into the turn and came into the back straight with a length lead.

Those early exertions did not impact the outcome, however, with Foremost Teddy turning on the jets when asked in the straight and flashing clear to win by a very easy three lengths.

Another of next week’s IJC riders, Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, enjoyed a good sighter when Another World secured the Class Three Mody Handicap (1,650m) for trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong.

It was a narrow success for the five-year-old, who enjoyed a charmed run under Ho and fended off a pair of Shum-trained runners late on, denying him a coveted treble on the day.