Colin Bowe only began training 10 years ago but has made a big impact in that time.
He learned his trade with both Jim Bolger and Aidan O’Brien and was soon training winners in his own name after taking out a licence in 2005.
He had a number of smart horses through his hands, most notably the Grade 1-class chaser Snowy Morning and the Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Shinrock Paddy. Bowe was the leading point-to-point handler in the 2009-’10 season, the 2010-’11 season and he shared the title again in 2015 with Donnacha Doyle. He currently leads the 2015-’16 table with nine winners.
It was in April 2010 that Bowe had his first winner on the track and in the intervening five years racegoers and punters have come to respect his runners under rules. So far Bowe is probably best known as a trainer of mares – Askanna and the prolific Little King Robin his best two performers. But last October the trainer sent out the gelding Shantou Flyer to win a three-mile chase at Cheltenham.
Despite this growing level of success on the racecourse the Bowe yard remains mainly a point-to-point operation. David Pipe’s Arkle Chase winner Western Warrior is one of the latest graduates of the Bowe stable to win at the highest level.