Cheltenham Festival blow for James Bowen

James Bowen will miss the Cheltenham Festival after being given a seven-day ban after he was judged to have used the whip twice above the permitted level of seven from approaching the home bend when winning on the Charlie Longsdon-trained Zestful Hope at Hereford last Sunday.

The suspension runs from 11-17 March.

Bowen would have been hoping to improve on his current 16th place in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup as the second jockey for Nicky Henderson, and would have had a good book of rides, including one of Lulamba or Palladium in the Triumph Hurdle.

“It’s very unfortunate,” Henderson said. “He’s flying along and I feel very sorry for him and a bit sorry for ourselves. It’s brutal. There’s nothing one can do, it’s the rules. He bent them a bit and there’s no flexibility or leniency – and I’m not saying there should be.

“I haven’t had a chance to look at it but he would have had a lot of rides. Having a jockey on board who knows the horse means a lot.”