Birthday: Jul 14, 1980

Type: Club Jockey

Nationality: Australian

Background:
Age: 45. Hugh Bowman's name will forever be etched in racing folklore thanks to his famous partnership with Australia's champion mare Winx. The winner of four consecutive W.S. Cox Plates at Moonee Valley, Winx won 37 of her 43 career starts in Australia, with Bowman partnering her to 25 Group 1 victories. Bowman has been crowned Sydney Champion Jockey on four occasions and has ridden more than 100 Group 1 winners. In Hong Kong, Bowman has enjoyed considerable success, having twice won the Hong Kong Derby, while an association with Werther also returned victories in the QEII Cup, the Hong Kong Gold Cup and the Champions & Chater Cup. He also won the International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley in 2016, and he added another Group 1 win to his tally in the 2024 Chairman's Sprint Prize aboard Invincible Sage. Born in rural New South Wales - Dunedoo to be exact - Bowman began working with horses at a young age. He comes from a lineage of horsemen, with both his grandfather and father amateur jockeys. At about 15 years old, Bowman began riding in country shows and picnic races. He also played polocrosse and participated in campdrafting. In 1997, he left school to begin his jockey apprenticeship and was indentured to Leanne Aspros at Bathurst. Bowman later honed his skills under legendary New South Wales trainer Ron Quinton, completing his apprenticeship in Sydney. During his career, Bowman has been associated with Winx, Exceed And Excel, Samantha Miss, Werther and Cheval Grand. In 2019, Bowman was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. In the 2024/25 season, Bowman rode a career-high 72 wins to finish second in the jockeys' championship behind Zac Purton.

Achievements:
Sydney Champion Jockey (2008/09, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2016/17); LONGINES World's Best Jockey (2017); International Jockeys' Championship (2016), Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee (2019), Shergar Cup Silver Saddle winner (2007 & 2025).

Notable Race Wins Include
Hong Kong Derby (2016 Werther, 2019 Furore), Hong Kong Gold Cup (2017 Werther), QEII Cup (2016 Werther), Champions Mile (2025 Red Lion), Champions & Chater Cup (2017 Werther, 2023 Russian Emperor), Chairman's Sprint Prize (2017 Lucky Bubbles, 2024 Invincible Sage), Hong Kong Classic Mile (2019 Furore, 2024 Helios Express), Hong Kong Classic Cup (2024 Helios Express), W.S. Cox Plate (2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 Winx), Golden Slipper (2020 Farnan), Japan Cup (2017 Cheval Grand), Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2013 Reliable Man, 2017, 2018 & 2019 Winx), Doncaster Mile (2016 Winx), Epsom Handicap (2015 Winx, 2018 Hartnell), Australian Oaks (2009 Daffodil, 2012 Streama, 2016 Sofia Rosa, 2017 Bonneval, 2018 Unforgotten), George Main Stakes (2012 Shoot Out, 2016, 2017 & 2018 Winx), Turnbull Stakes (2015 Preferment, 2017 & 2018 Winx), Tancred Stakes (2013 Fiveandahalfstar, 2016 Preferment, 2017 Jameka), Singapore Derby (2023 Golden Monkey).

Hong Kong Career Wins
(at start of 2025/26 season): 232 (win strike rate 12.4%).