HUGH Bowman is out to finish his spring carnival on a high and give owner Lloyd Williams a sentimental win with Mourayan in the $350,000 Zipping Classic (2400 metres) at Sandown tomorrow, reports The Age. It says: Bowman was to ride Mourayan in the Melbourne Cup before the horse was scratched on race morning because of a plate problem. It was typical of Bowman's carnival, which involved several placings but was punctuated by two victories, including the Victoria Derby on Sangster. ''I had six se
HUGH Bowman is out to finish his spring carnival on a high and give owner Lloyd Williams a sentimental win with Mourayan in the $350,000 Zipping Classic (2400 metres) at Sandown tomorrow, reports The Age.
It says: Bowman was to ride Mourayan in the Melbourne Cup before the horse was scratched on race morning because of a plate problem. It was typical of Bowman's carnival, which involved several placings but was punctuated by two victories, including the Victoria Derby on Sangster. ''I had six seconds but that doesn't really hurt because I won the Derby,'' he said.
''If I hadn't won the Derby it would be a different story. It was one of those things with Mourayan in the Cup, but he will get his chance on Saturday.''
Mourayan pulled up ''slightly lame'' after beating all but Glass Harmonium in the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby day. He was well backed in the Cup before being scratched.
Bowman said the front-running stayer would have given the Cup field ''something to chase''.
''He would have been flat out winning the way the track was playing,'' Bowman said. ''He would have been up there in the first few and would have given them something to chase, for sure. I'm looking forward to getting back on him. It was a shame what happened to him in the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup but they tell me he is ready to go. He is a good horse and this is his trip.' (www.theage.com.au)