Champion Australian jockey Hugh Bowman has concluded a highly successful 2015 by winning the Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes in Japan on Sunday.
Bowman had the ride on Hartley, a son of Deep Impact, in the 2000m two-year-old feature at Nakayama on the Arima Kinen program, one of the most prestigious days of racing in Japan.
Hartley scored a stylish debut victory over 2000m at Tokyo on November 14 and went into the Hopeful Stakes as third favourite behind Lord Quest, winner of the Grade 3 Niigata Nisai Stakes over 1600m in August, and Battistini.
Starting from barrier 6 in the 12 horse field, Hartley was a touch slow to begin and Bowman had the son of Deep Impact settled slightly worse than midfield on the inside of Battistini, with race favourite Lord Quest ridden conservatively at the rear.
As the field turned for home, Christophe Lemaire made his move aboard Battistini to challenge but he was quickly followed by Mirco Demuro on Lord Quest and Bowman.
Just as it appeared that Lord Quest was about to assert his superiority, Bowman asked Hartley for his finishing burst and the colt responded powerfully under hands and heels riding.
Hartley ran away for an easy victory and had 1 ¼ lengths to spare on the line over Lord Quest, with Battistini a further 1 ¾ lengths away in third. The time for the 2000m was 2.01.80.