How time away helped Hugh Bowman understand the impact of Winx’s stellar career

Hugh Bowman scaled the heights of racing with mighty mare Winx but it wasn’t until he stepped away and took a break that he started to grasp the full extent of the Winx phenomenon.

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It’s only now that Hugh Bowman is starting to understand the full extent of the Winx phenomenon.

That’s part of the reason he was so cool in the saddle as she broke all sorts of records, including winning four Cox Plates, on her way to becoming arguably Australia’s greatest ever racehorse.

Bowman has had two months off before his return to racing at Royal Randwick on Saturday and in that time he has been able to reflect on the long and successful journey he had on the Chris Waller-trained champion.

“Stepping away from racing helped me understand what she meant,” Bowman said. “Everyone watched her and everyone wanted her to win every time.

“What has started to become a reality to me is just how special she was to so many people, which was something I hadn’t understood.

Hugh Bowman enjoyed the ride of lifetime on Winx during her record-breaking career. Picture: Getty Images

“When you see the expression on people’s faces when they talk about Winx, it’s very surreal.”

When Bowman would turn up to the races when he was riding Winx, he always looked in complete control. His poker face was as good as usual.

He never let the pressure get to him and that’s what separates the best from the second-best. He was the perfect person to ride Winx.

“One of the most common questions I’ve been asked is how did I handle the pressure,” he said. “I didn’t feel, at the time, that I was under pressure.

“On reflection, I handled it by blocking it all out. It became tunnel vision.

“I’m not saying I haven’t succumbed to pressure in the past or will in the future but I had the horse to get the job done and I didn’t get in the way of that.

“For that, I’m really proud because it wasn’t easy. I always wanted to compete under supreme pressure and Winx gave that to me.”

Only once did Bowman lose when riding Winx.

That was before she was a champion. It was in the Group 1 Flight Stakes when second to First Seal, who, at the time, was the better-performed horse.

Hugh Bowman blocked out the pressure of riding Winx. Picture: AAP

Bowman, ever the great competitor, told Winx’s trainer Chris Waller late last year that the replay of that race showed the potential champion in her.

“You only have to look at her go past the post that day,” he said.

“But, in saying that, First Seal was dominant and you couldn’t have imagined in your wildest dreams that Winx was going to develop into what she did.

“It was the only defeat I had on her but I’d still be selfish to look back on her with any regrets. It’s good to look back but I haven’t reviewed the whole thing much. I haven’t watched many replays.”

Bowman has won 88 Group 1s and is already in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Despite all this, he knows in 40 years’ time the only thing fans will want to bring up is Winx.

Malcolm Johnston has been getting it for the past four decades in regards to Kingston Town.

And like Miracle Mal, Bowman won’t get sick of talking about the champion.

“I’m very proud of the role I played in her career,” he said. “I’ll enjoy talking about her for the rest of my life and the more I talk about her the more I learn about my own thoughts and emotions, which I was blocking out throughout the journey.

“I’ll be looking forward, not back, when I hop in the saddle.

“It won’t be about Winx anymore. It will be about getting the job done on the next horse that I ride. I don’t think it will be hard (to keep riding without her). It’s about looking forward.

Hugh Bowman admits he hasn’t watched many replays of Winx’s big wins. Picture: Getty Images

“I’ll tell you one thing, there will be something that eventually wins every race that she won so I’m still motivated.”

Bowman did a little bit of travelling in his eight-week break, including a trip to America where he watched a game of the NBA Finals in San Francisco.

Some have suggested now that Winx has retired that he might look to ride more overseas and compete in the biggest races around the globe. But the man from Dunedoo refuted those rumours.

“I’ve had great options overseas and I’ve spent a lot of time overseas but, to be honest, I actually want to bring that back a bit,” he said.

“I don’t want to forgo my overseas opportunities but I want to bring it back to basics and start from the bottom again and get into a consistent routine at home, which is something I haven’t for a while because of Winx.

“I feel great and have had a good break. My body and mind is good and I’m excited about coming back.”

During his break, he felt it was important to completely get away from racing.

He was mentally and physically “spent” following years of riding Winx, which brought plenty of extra commitments off the racetrack.

He needed time off to recharge the batteries so he could get back to his best.

Taking the kids to school and playing golf was as tough as it got physically.

“You can’t be at 100 per cent at all times, no one can be, no matter what they do and anyone who says they can be are lying,” Bowman said.

“With what we do, especially at the level I’m riding at, you’ve got to be at 115 per cent.

“I was travelling a lot in the past few years, too, and it all accumulated together.”

Hugh Bowman is looking forward to jumping back in the raceday saddle at Roiyal Randwick on Saturday. Picture: AAP

He didn’t watch any racing, either, “apart from the big ones in Brisbane” and being on holidays meant he could stay up to watch the Royal Ascot Carnival instead of having to wake up at 3am for trackwork.

Bowman, who turns 39 on Sunday week, picked Saturday’s Royal Randwick meeting to make a return to the sport. He knew he needed to come back about now to make sure he was at peak fitness for the spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.

Bowman’s weight got up to 61kg during his two-month break and many fans would have seen his social media posts during the past year where he was working with personal trainer Trent Langlands.

Getting ready for the return .@HugeBowman tough strength balance stability and Jockey specific work pic.twitter.com/mrd9H449s3

— trent langlands (@trentlanglands) June 29, 2019

“I don’t actually like going to the gym,” he said. “I quite like going for a run, but the gym does stimulate my mind and body and there’s no doubt it’s had a positive effect.

“I set a standard but with Trent’s assistance that standard lifted.

“I’m looking forward to getting fit again, that’s my biggest challenge in the next month and by mid-August we’ll be staring down the barrel of the Winx Stakes. If I could pick up a decent ride in that it would be a great way to start the season.”

Bowman has been gifted no luck at the barriers on his return to racing at Royal Randwick with gate nine the best he’s drawn. But he’s always had a relaxed approach to a poor gate.

Often he will come back to the jockeys’ room after a win and say he rode it “with an open mind like I always do”.

Hugh Bowman is proud of the role he played in Winx’s career. Picture: Getty Images

“Hopefully the inside might be off at Randwick,” he said when told of his wide draws. “I’m living near the track now. It looks like the rail is a fair way out, so Saturday will be interesting.”

Promising New Zealand runner Simply Optimistic was scratched from the eighth race after a debut Australian win last start, so he’s been left with four rides.

The most interesting one is Sir Elton for Gosford trainer Adam Duggan. Sir Elton has only won two races at the provincials to start his career but they have been extremely good wins.

He’s rated a $1.85 chance to win the third race and get Bowman off to a winning start.

“I’m not sure there’s much of a gap now between the provincials and the city, especially at the midweeks,” he said. “This is a Saturday race now but I’ve certainly had good reports about the horse.”

The champion jockey also rides Revenire (race 7) for James Cummings, Terminology (race 9) for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and they’re both winning chances.

He will team up with his biggest supporter, Waller, to ride Zourkhan in the sixth race. He ran well behind Star Of The Seas last start and will really appreciate the likely heavy track.

“I’ve had a bit of luck on him so it would be nice if we could come home with a winner,” he said. “I’ve got a couple of nice rides.”

Originally published as How time away helped Hugh Bowman understand the impact of Winx’s stellar career