Championship titles were awarded to Britain’s top jump jockey, conditional jockey and trainer at the bet365 Jump Finale at Sandown Park on Saturday (26 April).
Sean Bowen, 27, built up an unassailable lead in the jockey championship and already had it won well in advance of the final day. The Welshman had 180 winners from 902 rides over the season, winning £2,219,430.
“It is something you dream of as a kid,” said Sean. “When you are racing ponies up the gallops, you dream of being AP McCoy, Richard Johnson and Brian Hughes. I can’t quite believe it’s now going to be me. Going racing, jockeys like those were my idols and you try to be like them.
“You want to be a jockey and then to be champion jockey – that is the dream.”
Paying tribute to all those who have supported him, Sean said: “It all starts with my parents – they have been my biggest supporters. And my agent [Alain Cawley] has done an incredible job and kept me very busy.”
Sean also thanked Olly Murphy, a trainer he has primarily ridden for for a number of years – he provided Sean with 103 of his 180 winners, including Reslendent Grey, who won Sandown’s feature race on Saturday, the bet365 Gold Cup.
“Olly Murphy has been my biggest supporter trainer-wise,” said Sean. “For him to have his horses in great form from the start to the end of the season has been a massive part of my success.”
“It’s been an unbelievable year and I texted Sean on Saturday morning and said sorry I hadn’t provided him with a Grade One winner,” said Mr Murphy. “But we’d just about done everything else.”
Sean’s win on Saturday came after an incredible last two weeks of the season, having ridden a treble and then a four-timer at Perth midweek, and winning the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse for Welsh trainer Rebecca Curtis on Haiti Couleurs on Monday.
“Honestly, the best two weeks of my life – I hope it carries on for ever,” said Sean, who is looking forward to his wedding.
“Harriet [Matthews] and I are getting married in the summer. I am not very good at organising things like that so am leaving it to Harriet!” joked Sean, who is off on his stag do to Tenerife this week. “We are really looking forward to the wedding and have been together since I was a conditional at Paul Nicholls’.”
Sean’s previous attempt at the jockey championship ended in heartbreak; a Boxing Day knee injury derailed his campaign while he was leading last season.
“I knew I had to start fast and keep the pressure on,” said Sean. “Harry Skelton pushed me hard around Christmas, but I managed to rebuild the lead. It’s been relentless, but every mile of the 75,000 I’ve driven this season, and every ride, was worth it for this.”
Harry Skelton finished second in the jump jockey championship with 142 winners, Harry Cobden was third on 116 winners.
‘Everything I achieve is for mum’: 19-year-old secures conditional jockey championship
Freddie Gingell with the champion conditional jockey trophy.
Freddie Gingell became champion conditional jockey for the 2024/25 season. The 19-year-old is from a famous racing family; his grandfather is Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Colin Tizzard and his uncle is former jockey and Colin’s successor, Joe Tizzard.
Freddie said: “It was only three years ago that I was point-to-pointing and it took off from there. It’s gone really well.
“Joe has been very good to me and almost like a brother. We are very close and he helps me here, there and everywhere.”
Not only has he had the support of Joe, but he also had the considerable force of his boss, 14-times champion jumps trainer Paul Nicholls, behind him.
It was Paul that provided more big-race success when he handed him the ride on Il Ridoto in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.
“Of my 39 winners this season, 18 have been for Joe and 18 have been for Paul Nicholls,” Freddie said.
“Winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Il Ridoto was the biggest day this season and another horse right up there would be Copperhead – he won four races this season including the veterans’ final.”
Freddie’s mother Kim died aged 43 in 2020 owing to cancer, but he still keenly feels her influence.
“Everything I achieve is for Mum,” said Freddie. “It’s nearly five years ago now and my whole world really got turned around. From then on, I really wanted to give it my best shot, which is what she would have wanted. It’s all for her.”
Freddie thanked his father, Dave, who drives his son to most of his race meetings: “Dad and I really are like best friends as much as father and son. I am thankful for him being by my side and we get through every day together.”
A conditional jockey can “claim” a weight allowance of 7lbs until they have 20 wins, 5lbs until 40 wins and 3lbs until 75 wins (conditional jockeys with fewer than five wins can also claim an extra 3lbs when riding for their own stable).
Callum Pritchard finished second in the conditional jockey championship with 32 winners, Caoilin Quinn was third with 29 winners.
Jump trainers’ championship goes to the wire
Trainer Willie Mullins with the champion jump trainer trophy.
The British jump trainers’ championship was decided on the day of the bet365 Jump Finale at Sandown Park and following the sixth race, the bet365 Gold Cup, the prize money standings meant Ireland’s Willie Mullins had an unassailable lead over Dan Skelton, who led going into the final day.
Mr Mullins won his first title last season, becoming the first Irish-based trainer to take the honours since Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier and has now emulated Mr O’Brien with a second championship.
The final prize money standings were £3,570,991 to Mr Mullins and £3,371,484 to Mr Skelton.
“The last few weeks have been tough and they must have been tough for Dan too – that’s the way things go,” said Mr Mullins.
“I am very happy for all our connections and owners who once again have supported us with their horses.
“It feels special to do something similar to what Vincent O’Brien did, but of course he then and went and also did it on the Flat, which I won’t be doing!”
Having saddled Il Etait Temps to victory in the Grade One bet365 Celebration Chase and Gaelic Warrior to win the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase, Mr Mullins, 68, ended bet365 Jump Finale and the British jump season perfectly when Jump Allen landed the concluding bet365 Handicap Hurdle.
“I am very happy doing what I’m doing and am very happy for the owners, staff and the home team, starting with Jackie my wife,” he said.
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