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 .
