- Saturday’s JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle ended with a dead heat
- Quantock Hills had looked set to finish clear before being caught by Teriferma
- The jockeys who shared victory were brothers James and Sean Bowen
Dead heats in racing are not unusual but there was something remarkable about the one in Cheltenham’s opening race on Saturday — as the winning jockeys were the brothers James and Sean Bowen.
James looked to have seized the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle when he set Quantock Hills alight approaching the final flight but he was collared in the closing stages by Sean, who was on board Teriferma and had his nose down at the right time.
‘I thought I got done, I was fuming,’ said James Bowen.
‘I knew Sean was coming at me and I thought he’d beaten us 50 yards out, so it’s just mad.
‘I said well done to Sean but I couldn’t have asked for a better result really.
‘It was strange, I really wanted the win, but the dead heat is best of both worlds really for both of us. It’s one extra for both of us.’
Jockeys James and Sean Bowen won the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle in a dead heat
James rode Quantock Hills (right) on Saturday, while Sean was on board Teriferma (not in shot)
The victory is significant for Sean Bowen, who is chasing a first jockeys’ championship.
He finished second last season after a long tussle with Harry Cobden.
Sean said: ‘I was getting there, but I thought I was coming too late. James thought I’d won on the line, but we’ll take a dead heat.
‘To do it at Cheltenham is really good.’
