'It's going right down to the wire' - leading apprentices prepared for title decider at Catterick on Saturday

A showdown at Catterick on Saturday could determine who wins the apprentice jockeys' championship as Sean D Bowen and Joe Leavy have rides at the North Yorkshire track on what promises to be a gripping final day of their title battle. 

Bowen was three winners clear on Thursday, but Leavy is determined to fight every step of the way to add his name to an impressive roll of honour which includes Ryan Moore, Oisin Murphy, Tom Marquand and last year's winner Billy Loughnane. 

"It's a battle that's probably been going on for about six weeks now, and now we've come to the end it's really stepped up." Leavy said. "It's got very tight, but it's very enjoyable at the same time as being stressful. Everyone wants to be a champion, and it's been a good race. 

"We both get on really well away from racing, so it's good to have some banter with each other rather than being bitter, and it would be a great feeling to win. Because of how close it's got, it would make it that little bit more special, but to just be champion apprentice full stop would be a brilliant thing."

The 19-year-old is the son of former trainer Barry Leavy, who now works as head lad at Richard Hannon's Wiltshire yard. The link-up between the apprentice and Classic-winning trainer has proved invaluable part Leavy, whose championship tally is 40 winners. 

"I've always been in and around horses my whole life, especially racehorses, so that backing has really helped," he said. "Richard Hannon's yard is great, there's lots of good horses and opportunities for the right person and I've been fortunate enough this year to be given lots of chances and have some of my biggest winners for the yard."

Billy Loughnane: was champion apprentice last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Bowen has also benefited from a racing background through his uncle John Nallen, who runs the Minella Racing pre-training yard in Clonmel. The apprentice moved to James Owen's yard in May and achieved the biggest success of his career in last Saturday's Cesarewitch on Manxman. The pair finished second, but were awarded the race on Tuesday following the disqualification of first-past-the-post Alphonse Le Grande due to whip infractions. 

Bowen said: "Everyone had the same idea that the result should have been changed and it's definitely a rule they'll have to look at. I had to wait until Tuesday to find out the decision, and luckily it went our way. 

"It was a great excitement when I was driving to Leicester and I got a call to say the result had been overturned. It's one of the biggest handicaps in Britain that everyone wants to win. I've never been so happy driving to the races in my life." 

The apprentice title winner is traditionally crowned at Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot, but will instead be presented at Catterick, where the two jockeys will compete. 

"It looks like it's going right down to the wire, and I think Catterick will say a lot," Bowen added. "The main thing is we both get along at the races. It was only in the last month or so the championship became important. This has been the best month of my career."

Thursday

Bowen and Leavy go their separate ways for Britain's two all-weather meetings with the title leader likely to keep an eye on how his challenger is faring at Southwell in between his eight rides at Chelmsford.

Bowen has double the number of rides of Leavy and he will be hoping that numerical advantage can help him extend his lead. Rogue Diplomat was third on his debut at Beverley and the step up in trip for the opening 1m2f maiden (4.35) could help Bowen's mount. 

Rogue Diplomat's trainer and Bowen's boss James Owen also has High Court Judge making his stable debut off 20lb lower than his last winning mark in the mile handicap (5.45). Early Morning Dew has been ridden by Leavy on his last two starts but his title rival gets the leg up on Jim and Suzi Best's eight-year-old in the 1m2f handicap (5.10).

Ben Brookhouse's course-and-distance winner Profitman looks to be Bowen's best chance of the evening in the 7f handicap (6.15), having been beaten only a neck at this track and trip last time.

Bowen bids to ride his first winners for Michael Wigham, Julia Feilden, John Gallagher and Brian Meehan on King Of War (6.45), Smokey Malone (7.15), Havana Pusey (7.45) and Idle Assembly (8.15) respectively.

Leavy enjoyed success at Chelmsford on Papa Don't Preach last Saturday and the pair bid to follow up under a penalty in Southwell's 5f apprentice handicap (5.00). Leavy has also been booked by Papa Don't Preach's trainer Kevin Frost to partner Documenting (7.00) and Saratoga Gold (8.00). Six-raced maiden Thecoffeepoddotco will need to improve to get Leavy in the winner's enclosure after the first division of the 6f fillies novice (5.30).

Friday

Unlike Thursday, both riders will have the same number of opportunities to secure vital winners as they each have four mounts apiece at Haydock. The opening mile novice (1.45) is unlikely to yield a winner for either Bowen or Leavy given the presence of Willliam Haggas's once-raced winner Yabher in the line-up.

However, Hugo Palmer has provided Leavy with a more realistic chance in nurseries with Ran Amok (2.20) and Herecomesthebear (2.55). Leavy has his first ride for Iain Jardine on Hour By Hour in the 6f handicap (4.05), the same race as Bowen rides Mercurial for his uncle John Nallen.

Bryan Smart's Station X (2.25) and Nallan's Firebrand (4.40) completes Bowen's book of rides before he and Leavy head to Catterick on Saturday for the final day of the apprentice championship.

Read more:

'I'd been put back in my place' - Joe Leavy gets much-needed winner in apprentice title race 

'In the car on the way to the races we'd go through our punters - how many bet in thousands, in five hundreds, in hundreds' 

Confirmed runners and riders for the Champion Stakes and four more Group races on blockbuster Saturday at Ascot 

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