Nearly two decades ago, a young boy in a small public school in country NSW listened on the radio to Darren Beadman booting home the Bart Cummings-trained Kingston Rule to win the Melbourne Cup.After the race, the 10-year-old boy was in no doubt about what he wanted to do with his life.He wanted to be like Beadman and he wanted to win Australia's greatest race.That boy was Mendooran public school student Hugh Bowman from Dunedoo in NSW's central west.Now 29 and Sydney's reigning premier jockey,

Nearly two decades ago, a young boy in a small public school in country NSW listened on the radio to Darren Beadman booting home the Bart Cummings-trained Kingston Rule to win the Melbourne Cup.

After the race, the 10-year-old boy was in no doubt about what he wanted to do with his life.

He wanted to be like Beadman and he wanted to win Australia's greatest race.

That boy was Mendooran public school student Hugh Bowman from Dunedoo in NSW's central west.

Now 29 and Sydney's reigning premier jockey, Bowman is on the eve of realising his boyhood dream of riding in the Melbourne Cup.

Ironically, he will be teaming up with Cummings when he is legged aboard Roman Emperor.

"As a kid, when the Melbourne Cup came around I always remember having plenty of anxiety and the whole day was always a nervous build-up," Bowman said.

"There was something about Kingston Rule's win. I remember thinking about how great it would have felt to be Darren Beadman that day.

"I think he was 23 and he had the world at his feet and I thought `that's something I'd like to do'.

"Like everyone else, to win it would be a dream but I can't just make it magically happen.

"I just need to give the horse every chance to show what he can do. I've got a job to do and that's how I'm approaching it."

Kingston Rule's win in 1990 was Cummings' eighth in the Cup.

This year Roman Emperor will be one of three runners for the master horseman along with favourite Viewed and mare Allez Wonder as he chases victory number 13.

Roman Emperor comes into the race after running second in the Caulfield Cup to stablemate and last year's Melbourne Cup winner Viewed.

"Earlier in my career it was more of a dream than any chance of being a reality but over the past five or six years it has become more of a reality to ride in the race," Bowman said.

"I hadn't ridden in the Caulfield or Melbourne Cups because I can't ride the light weight.

"I could ride 52 kilos or 53 kilos with a month's notice but I don't want to be working that hard with a horse that could go amiss."

The ride on Roman Emperor became available when Jim Cassidy, who rode him to victory in the AJC Australian Derby in April, elected to ride Vision And Power in the Chelmsford and Hill Stakes.

Bowman had his first race ride on Roman Emperor in the Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) on September 5 at Randwick where he was fifth to O'Lonhro.

The pair then combined for a third to Miss Marielle in the Hill Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill two weeks later.

Roman Emperor was ninth to Efficient in the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3.

"Picking up the Derby winner earlier this prep has presented me with a great opportunity," Bowman said.

"When Bart offered me the Cup trail I had to forgo the Epsom Handicap meeting in Sydney and go down to Melbourne on Turnbull Stakes day to ride him but it's all been worth it."

Bowman said there were no excuses for Roman Emperor in the Caulfield Cup.

"I would liked to have followed something into the race, he just got there too easily and when I let him go he got a bit lost in front but in the end the winner was too good," Bowman said.

"The ground will be an important factor on Tuesday. If the ground is like it was Turnbull Stakes day he can't win, it will be too hard.

"My job is to make sure he relaxes and give him the best chance of running out the two miles."

So what's it like working with the Cups king?

"It's been pretty good. The only trouble is he's got another horse he's preparing that has a very good chance, apart from that it's good," Bowman said.

Bowman admits that he doesn't feel as nervous about the race as he did when he was a youngster.

"As I've got older I don't feel as worried about it now," Bowman said.

"Having ridden in some big races I feel very comfortable in that arena and I'll be treating it as I do every other race, even though we all know it's not."