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'You always look up to the champion jockey - and I can't believe that's going to be me'

Lewis Porteous talks to the champion jockey-elect about his rise to the top and unrelenting quest for winners

2024/2025 Champion jockey Sean Bowen , pictured riding out for Nick Scholfield near Bath
Sean Bowen: "If I get to 3,000 winners I'd be happy enough"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

It is something he has dreamed about for as long as he can remember, but even with an unassailable lead in the British jump jockeys' championship, Sean Bowen can't quite grasp the title is his.  

"When you're racing ponies up the gallops as a kid, you pretend to be Brian Hughes, Richard Johnson or AP McCoy, so I suppose you always look up to the champion jockey and I can't really believe that's going to be me," says the level-headed 27-year-old, who has time on his hands before three midweek rides at Cheltenham. 

The biggest shock of all might be that the championship is already in safe keeping. Bowen pushed Harry Cobden to the final day of the season before losing out by seven winners last year and it is a luxury to be heading into the final week with clear water between himself and nearest rival Harry Skelton. 

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