Sean comes up smelling of roses with 1,000th race winner

It was a day to remember for jockey Sean Bowen when he rode the 1,000th winner of his career at Fakenham’s Valentine Race Day.With family members looking on he got his mount Kefir D’Oudairies home by a head in the Racing TV Maiden NH Flat race over two miles, after a battle with the main rival and favourite Naval Tribute.Owen had earlier set up the prospect of such a finale by winning his 999th race, the Tim Barclay Memorial Chase on the Sarah Humphrey-trained Lyrical Genius, well ahead of Basford ridden by Sean Quinlan.The seven-race card got underway with the EBF National Hunt Novices Hurdle over two miles and four furlongs which developed into a struggle between the two favoured horses, Aviation and Escapologist.On the run-in, it was Aviation, ridden by Tom Cannon for the successful Lucy Wadham stable in Newmarket, who prevailed.The Queen Boudicca Series Qualifier Mares’ Chase, with just four runners, was won by Sainte Doctor under Richie McLernon.They were two lengths ahead of favourite, Moviddy. Caldwell took the Saint Valentine Selling Hurdle over two miles, breaking away from a packed field around the home turn to win by three lengths from 25/1 outsider Diamond Egg. Warm favourite Edgewell, ridden by Conor O’Farrell, won the Hoof and Holler Hurdle, run over two miles and seven furlongs, by three lengths from 14/1 shot One Man Party.The meeting concluded with the three-mile William Bulwer Long Memorial Hunters Chase, won in style by Bardenstown from the Sarah Loughnane stable, ridden by Eoin Mahon.The next Fakenham meeting is St Patrick’s Raceday on Friday, March 14.