Champion jockey Sean Bowen secures major ride in King George VI Chase

Bowen will have his first ride for Joseph O’Brien on last year’s winner of the race and 20-1 chance Banbridge at Kempton Park on December 26

Champion jump jockey Sean Bowen has picked up a major ride in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. The 28-year-old, who is way out in front in the 2025-26 campaign with 158 wins, has never won the £250,000 Kempton prize.

He will have his best chance yet after trainer Joseph O’Brien revealed Bowen is in line to partner last year’s race winner Banbridge in the 3m Christmas feature. Banbridge defeated Il Est Francais and L’Homme Presse to land the contest 12 months ago when he was ridden by Paul Townend. With Townend likely to ride the Willie Mullins-trained Gaelic Warrior and O’Brien’s regular rider J J Slevin at Leopardstown, a replacement will be required for 20-1 chance Banbridge.

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Slevin was aboard Banbridge when he finished a well beaten fourth of five in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December on his first appearance of the campaign.

O’Brien told the Nick Luck Daily podcast: “It looks most likely Sean Bowen will ride him at this stage.

“Obviously there is a lot of moving parts over those few days, but it looks like Sean Bowen will probably ride him and it looks a great renewal of the race, but it’s exciting to be going with one of the contenders.”

As well as a new pilot, Banbridge is also likely to sport a visor on Boxing Day, with O’Brien confident his candidate can take a step forward from his recent Cork reappearance..

The trainer added: “He had two runs heading into Kempton last year whereas he will only have had one this year and his reappearance was probably similar to his reappearance last year.

“We think he’s come forward well for that run and he will enjoy going back up in distance on better ground. He’s going to have probably a visor for the first time and we’re looking forward to competing in what is a particularly strong renewal of the King George.”