Hugh Bowman

Age: 44

Background:
Hugh Bowman’s name will forever be etched in racing folklore following 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 boasts more than 100 wins at Group 1 level. In Hong Kong, Bowman has enjoyed huge success having twice won the Hong Kong Derby, while an association with Werther also returned victories in the QEII Cup, Hong Kong Gold Cup and Champions & Chater Cup. He also won the International Jockeys’ Championship in 2016 at Happy Valley and he added another Group 1 win to his tally last term with Invincible Sage in the 2024 Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Born in rural New South Wales, Dunedoo to be exact, Bowman began working horses at a young age on the farm and comes from a lineage of horsemen with his grandfather and father both riding as amateur jockeys. At around age 15, Bowman began riding in country shows and picnic races. He also played polocrosse and participated in campdrafting. In 1997 he left school and started his apprenticeship as a jockey and was indentured to Leanne Aspros at Bathurst. Bowman then plied his trade under legendary New South Wales racing figure Ron Quinton, completing his apprenticeship under the handler 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. Bowman collected his 100th win in Hong Kong in season 2023/24, netting a career-high 69 wins to finish third in the jockeys’ championship last term.

Honours:
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).

IJC record:
2022 – 6th (DH); 2018 – 10th (DH), 2017- 4th; 2016 - WON; 2015 - 10th (DH); 2009 - 7th.

Karis Teetan

Age: 34

Background:
Mauritian rider Karis Teetan was well ensconced in the top 10 of the South African Jockeys’ Championship when he left for Hong Kong in August, 2013. He entered the South African Jockey Academy at the age of 14 and went on to be crowned South Africa Champion Apprentice in 2008. He graduated in 2009 with 147 wins to his credit. Teetan passed the 100-win mark in every season as a senior jockey in South Africa. His first top level win was in his native Mauritius on 24 November, 2008, aboard Halo Hunter. Teetan represented South Africa in the 2012 International Jockeys’ Invitational in Seoul, Korea and in the 2008 Macau Apprentice Jockeys Invitation Races. He notched an impressive 50 wins in his first Hong Kong season and has continued to build on that good start. He finished third in the 2017/18 championship race with 52 wins, which included a trio of Group 3 triumphs. He topped that in 2018/19 with 84 wins as he secured his first Hong Kong Group 1 win aboard Mr Stunning in the Hong Kong Sprint and again went better in 2019/20 with a personal best 93 wins, cementing third place in the championship race. He reunited with Mr Stunning in the 2020 Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Teetan enjoyed plenty of success through 2021/22, finishing third in the jockeys’ championship with 73 wins. Teetan was sidelined due to illness early throughout the 2022/23 season before returning to his best to reach 600 career wins in Hong Kong. In 2023/24, Teetan finished second in the jockeys’ championship for the first time with 86 wins, including two Group 3 wins aboard Ka Ying Rising and Mugen in the Sha Tin Vase and Premier Cup, respectively. He became only the sixth jockey to reach the 700-win milestone in Hong Kong earlier this season.

Honours:
South Africa Champion Apprentice (2008); International Jockeys’ Championship winner (2019).

IJC record:
2023 – 10th (DH); 2020 – 8th (DH); 2019 - WON; 2018 – 7th; 2017 - 9th (DH).