Bowman Gathers Another Group One Chance
- Wednesday, 24 November 2010 04:15
Sydney jockey High Bowman has been given a gilt-edged chance to add to his season's Group One tally.
Bowman is the confirmed Kingston Town Classic rider for Gathering, the Patinack Farm galloper who will be one of the main chances in the 1800m weight-for-age feature.
Patinack Farm racing manager Robyn Hartney said Bowman had taken the Group One ride on Wednesday.
Bowman will replace Craig Williams, the Melbourne-based rider who partnered Gathering to victory in the Group One Railway Stakes last Saturday.
Williams will miss the Kingston Town Classic meeting at Ascot on December 4 because of overseas commitments.
Bowman said he chased the Gathering ride when he heard Williams was heading to Japan.
His booking could mean missing out on keeping an association with one of Sydney's most promising gallopers.
"Shamash might be running on the same day but I can only be in one place at one time," Bowman said.
Bowman has ridden Shamash to two impressive comeback wins at Canterbury and Rosehill as the Bart Cummings-trained galloper heads towards a possible Villiers Stakes start.
Bowman won two majors during the Melbourne Cup carnival - the Victoria Derby and the Emirates Stakes - to join Williams in second place in the jockeys' race for 2010-2011 Group One honours.
He will share top billing with So You Think's spring jockey Steven Arnold if Gathering can go back-to-back in Perth.
Pre-post operators on the Kingston Town have Gathering $7 second favourite with Railway Stakes runner-up Famous Roman heading charts at $6.
On Gathering's Kingston Town chances, Bowman said: "He's not as well suited at weight-for-age but he's the type of horse who races up on the speed making his own luck."
Gathering's stablemate Trusting is at $10 for the Classic after finishing sixth in the Railway.
Picture: Sportpix
