JOCKEY James Bowen will miss the Cheltenham Festival.
The 23-year-old has received a seven-day whip ban after racing at Hereford on Sunday.
PAJames Bowen will not be at this year’s Cheltenham Festival[/caption]
PABowen (left) has been banned for seven days for excessive use of the whip[/caption]
Bowen’s suspension will run from Tuesday, March 11 to Monday, March 17.
Cheltenham’s iconic Festival begins on March 11 and runs until March 14 this year.
Fans were quick to slam the decision, which came after Bowen rode favourite Zestful Hope to victory at Hereford.
Bowen got the 15/8f to the winning post first ahead of rival Intimate after being pushed hard down the final furlong.
But racing bosses deemed his excessive use of the whip required a full-week ban.
At The Races confirmed: “James Bowen will miss the Cheltenham Festival after being handed a seven-day whip ban.”
One fan on X gasped: “That’s ridiculous. Surely he will get that moved.”
Another said: “That’s a joke. No other way of putting it.”
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While a third added: “Great ride from James Bowen here. I’m sure no one watching had an issue and I bet the owners were especially happy.
“Yet because of the ridiculous whip rules he gets a seven day ban and now misses the festival.”
And a fourth lamented: “There are not many sports that kills itself more than horse racing…”
But another predicted: “He won’t be banned. Leave it to the last day that he’s allowed to appeal. Once he puts his appeal in the hearing won’t be heard for another week or so, freeing him up to ride at Cheltenham.”
Bowen has ridden 68 winners so far this season from 375 rides.
He was recently labelled the “toughest jockey in the business” after a horror fall at Ffos Las.
Bowen was left face down in the mud when Saunton Surf collapsed and rolled on top of him at the Welsh track, in a fall described by watching punters as “horrific”.
The Warren Greatrex-trained Saunton Surf, a £175,000 purchase, was unhurt in the incident.
Incredibly, Bowen got up off the turf to ride a winner less than an hour later.
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