JOHN Nallen and family were in Haydock yesterday (Friday) as John’s nephew Sean Bowen rode his 44th winner, virtually assuring him of the British champion apprentice title.

The season ends today and Bowen is three winners ahead of his closest rival, Joe Leavy. Both riders are in action at Catterick and the odds are stacked in favour of the Clonmel man.

“It’s fairytale stuff,” Nallen told The Irish Field. “Sean told me in May, ‘I’m going to England, I’m going to win the apprentice championship.’ No matter what happens, he’s top-class. He’s got the work ethic of his mother, the manners of his father, the neck of his uncle and the balls of a brass monkey.”

Bowen learnt his trade on the Irish pony racing circuit, where he rode 10 winners, and gained his first winner on the racecourse proper on December 1st, 2021. He progressed to record 19 wins during the 2023 flat season and moved to British trainer James Owens in May this season.

He gained his biggest victory in the Cesarewitch last weekend, but celebrations were delayed, as his mount was only awarded the race following Alphonse Le Grande’s disqualification due to a berach of the whip rules.

Four for Murphy

At Ascot today Oisin Murphy will be crowned Britain’s champion jockey for the fourth time. The Kerryman is over 50 winners clear of runner-up Rossa Ryan. Last year’s champion William Buick is third and Billy Loughnane is fourth, an outstanding achievement for the 2023 champion apprentice.

Aidan O’Brien also boasts a decisive winning margin in the trainers’ championship, with earnings of £7.9 million, before any potential Champions’ Day earnings.

Andrew Balding is best of the rest at £4.6 million and leads in numerical terms with 152 winners.

This will be O’Brien’s seventh title, edging him one in front of John Gosden and Fred Darling. The master of Ballydoyle last won in 2017.

Paddy Prendergast became the first Irish trainer to win the British title (1963-’65), followed by Vincent O’Brien in 1966 and 1977.