Bowen Bids to Retain Glorious Finale Feature Crown

MICKEY BOWEN is hoping to strike gold once again at Perth Racecourse as the curtain rises on the historic Glorious Finale.

The regular Welsh visitor has his eye firmly on the £25,000 feature race on Wednesday’s opening card, saddling Tamarind Bay in the Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow David Whitaker’s Handicap Chase over three miles.

Ridden by the trainer’s brother James Bowen, Tamarind Bay returns to Perth having made an encouraging start to his chasing career and connections will be hoping he can make amends for an unlucky previous visit to the Scone track.

“He’s done well since we switched him to fences,” Bowen said. “The only time he’s lost in a chase so far was at Perth when he was still in contention when unseating his jockey at the third last.

“That was his first run at the track and this is a nice prize to come back for. It’s a long way for us but we’ve always loved coming up as they really look after you and it’s a lucky track as well.

“We won the race last year with Statuario so it would be great to hold on to the trophy!”

Standing in Tamarind Bay’s way is a competitive field featuring some familiar names, including The Real Whacker for Patrick Neville and King Of Answers, representing the Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore team.

The Bowens could have further reason to celebrate with course-and-distance winner Letterston Lily lining up in the Lord Mansfield Memorial Handicap Hurdle, a qualifier for the Go North Cab On Target Series.

The top-weight already boasts winning form at Perth, having recorded an emphatic victory at the Scone Palace Park track during the Perth Festival in April.

Wednesday’s six-race card gets underway with the Harvesting What Matters Most Novices’ Hurdle, where leading Warwickshire trainer Dan Skelton and jockey Harry Skelton combine with the progressive Gambino.

The promising raider arrives in search of a hat-trick following back-to-back victories at Cartmel during the summer and will be looking to continue that winning sequence on his first visit to Perth.

Another fascinating contender is hurdling debutant Jet Of Stars from the Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore stable.

Carrying the colours of Dundee United director Jimmy Fyffe, the highly regarded youngster commanded £230,000 at the Cheltenham sales in March and will have the assistance of three-time champion jockey Brian Hughes as he begins his career over hurdles.

The action marks the opening day of Perth Racecourse’s two-day Glorious Finale, bringing the 2026 season to a fitting conclusion with competitive National Hunt racing and a meeting steeped in more than four centuries of history.

First staged on Perth’s South Inch in 1613 before moving to its current home in the parklands of Scone Palace in 1908, the Glorious Finale is the oldest fixture at Perth Racecourse. Generations of racegoers have enjoyed the meeting and, more than 400 years after its beginnings, it remains a highlight of the calendar.

With leading horses, trainers and jockeys from across Britain and Ireland heading north as the winter jumps season approaches, the stage is set for two memorable days of racing and Mickey Bowen will be hoping his long journey from Wales proves worthwhile once again.