Jan won her very first race as a trainer with Remember Red in 2005. Another 200 wins have followed - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Muswellbrook trainer Jan Bowen maintained her consistent strike rate with a quartet of wins for the month just gone. A trainer who leaves no stone unturned, Jan opened her new year account when Pee Dee led most of the way to win a BM 58 on Gilgandra Cup day (Jan 5th) with talented apprentice Shannen Llewellyn in the saddle. Eight days later she notched a double on her home track at Muswellbrook, scoring with Withstand and Pelette. Both horses won easily and both were ridden by one of the trainer’s “go-to” jockeys Ashley Morgan. Jan made it four for the month at Tamworth on Jan 23rd when Ollie’s Secret comfortably won a BM 82, courtesy of a copybook ride from Anna Roper.
Jan Bowen’s first training win in her own right came in 2005 when Remember Red won a Muswellbrook maiden with Ryan Wiggins in the saddle. More than 200 additional winners have followed, with one special horse remaining Jan’s all time favourite. She owned and trained a chestnut gelding called Jest Crewsin’ who retired in 2015 with a record of 74 starts for 10 wins, 19 placings and $425,000. The tough-as-teak son of Brahms gave Jan her most important win to date, when he finished doggedly to win the listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick with Kerrin McEvoy on board.
Jan's all time favourite Jest Crewsin' (Kerrin McEvoy) wins the 2011 Carrington Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
In more recent times the talented trainer was able to extract maximum performance from Casino Kid with whom she won six races including a Randwick TAB Highway and a Rosehill BM78 with Reece Jones up, and another BM78 at headquarters with Sam Clipperton doing the honours. Always partial to a country meeting, Jan headed west with Casino Kid in September 2022 to win the Dubbo Gold Cup, this time with Grant Buckley on board.
Casino Kid (Reece Jones) in one of his 6 wins for Jan Bowen - TAB Hwy at Randwick 2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The experienced Bowen prepares her horses on a four and a half acre property right on Muswellbrook racecourse, a property she shares with son Justin who’s been training in his own right since 2019. Justin won his first race with Alchera at Scone, and has added another 34 winners since. Justin and his mother are each training fifteen horses virtually in the same barn. If either needs a sounding board they simply seek another opinion from highly successful veteran Pat Farrell who keeps his small team on the premises. When twelve complimentary bags of Pryde’s EasiPerformance are delivered to the Bowen establishment shortly, Jan and Justin will have to sort out which horses are getting what!
Jan loves racing in the Hunter. Here she is with Tim Clark at Scone in 2015 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - First leg of a double for Jan Bowen at Muswellbrook 13/01/2025 - an easy win for Withstand and Ashley Morgan - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)