There was definitely a hangover period’: Hugh Bowman enjoying career resurgance in Hong Kong

Bowman was always going to come back to Earth after his fairytale partnership with the champion mare Winx ended six years ago when she was retired following her 33rd win in succession.

Their final race together – the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the 2019 Championships – remains etched in equine history as one of the greatest occasions in Australian racing, but it was also a bittersweet moment for Bowman.

One of Australia’s finest and most humble horsemen, with more than 100 Group One winners to his name, Bowman also realised he would probably never again feel the same adrenaline rush he got from riding the mighty Winx.

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“There was definitely a bit of a hangover period where my motivation to go that extra mile maybe lacked a little bit,” Bowman said.

“The thing about being a jockey, it’s all about the good horses, and when she left I struggled for motivation on any horse I rode because nothing gave me quite the same pressure, there just wasn’t enough pressure.

“And no matter what I did, I couldn’t reciprocate what she brought to the table. I didn’t expect to but it was a bit like an empty bucket, even at the biggest races.”

The global pandemic, which stopped the world in its tracks a year later, added to Bowman’s sense of frustration that he needed to find a new way to motivate himself.

And it came, unexpectedly, just as the Covid lockdown was ending.

“It wasn’t that I needed a change. I was actually quite happy at home and still at the top of my game, but the Hong Kong Jockey Club approached me to canvas my interest in coming over.

“I was pushing 41 at the time, I’m 44 years old now, so I had a good chat with my wife about it and the timing just married up so we made the change.

“It wasn’t any magical formula or long term plan, it was literally a phone call and within six weeks, we were in Hong Kong.”

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That was in late 2022.

At the time, Bowman thought he’d probably only stay for one season but two-and-a-half years later he’s still in the heartbeat of Asian racing, now settled with his family and riding winner after winner, currently sitting second on the jockey’s premiership behind another champion Australia rider, Zac Purton, the all-time most successful rider in Hong Kong.

Racing weekly in front of packed crowds at the iconic Happy Valley and Sha Tin course, combined with success, has given Bowman the new lease of life he needed after the highs of Winx. However, it was only made possible because his wife Christine and their two daughters Bambi and Paige were able to settle in and embrace the lifestyle change.

“We’d lived here before so we were familiar with Hong Kong and it wasn’t totally foreign to us,” Bowman said.

“But it was after Covid and when we got here the city was basically still in lockdown so of course it took some adjustments, settling the kids into school.

“For the first eight months it was a bit unsettling. The beauty for me was I had my work and my schedule and my routine to stick to, which is great for any human being, but getting the girls into school and adjusting to all that was a big change.”

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Bowman’s previous stint in Hong Kong – a three-month contract in 2014 – could not have gone better, and helped lay the foundations for a long association with the famous racing club.

He got a lucky break when he got the ride on Werther, who went on to become Hong Kong’s horse of the year in 2015-16, by which time he was doing short hit-and-run missions that were wildly successful.

At the same time he was rewriting the record books with Winx in Australia, Bowman was also making a huge name for himself in Hong Kong, winning five Group One races. And in 2017, he won the prestigious World’s Best Jockey award.

So when the chance to return to Hong Kong on a permanent basis came, it was too good an offer to refuse.

“It’s been a great lifestyle change for us. It was always something that I planned to do,” he said.

“The racing’s going well, the work lifestyle is good, and we’re settled here, and calling Hong Kong home. It’s an annual contract with the jockey club so I guess that’s how we’ll approach it.

“It’s an intense town, whether you’re in racing or not, it is a fast place, it’s a very social city and really a playground for young adults really. The racing is huge and it’s part of the Hong Kong culture and they absolutely love it.”

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While undecided about how long he’ll remain in Hong Kong, one thing has never changed: he still loves the big races in Australia, especially, The Championships at Randwick.

He may not miss the grind of early morning barrier trials in Sydney and midweek trips to the provincials but he’s still commuting back to Sydney on a regular basis.

He rode at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day and after fulfilling his engagements at Happy Valley on Wednesday, Bowman was booked on Thursday’s red-eye flight to Sydney to take the reins of Rivellino in the Sires’ Produce Stakes then Red Aces in the Australian Derby at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“I always love the opportunity to come home when I can,” he said.

“But moving to Hong Kong has been good.

“It’s not easy but for me it’s been a bit of a fresh start.

“Like anyone at the top of their industry, the ability is there but you need that extra motivation.

“When I came here, I had to restart so that was excellent for me.

“It wasn’t planned but there was no way I knew the path my career was going to go all those years ago.

“I’m very proud of the horses that I’ve ridden and the job that I’ve done on those horses. The success I’ve had means a lot to me.

“I’m now certainly at the twilight of my career, but still getting the opportunities to compete at that highest level and that’s what makes us tick.”

Originally published as There was definitely a hangover period’: Hugh Bowman enjoying career resurgance in Hong Kong