Champion jockey Hugh Bowman is weighing up major hip surgery after being sidelined since the opening day of the Hong Kong season with a debilitating injury.
Bowman, who has finished second to Zac Purton in the last two jockey premierships, will make a call within a week about whether to go under the knife to rectify the issue.
It’s understood Bowman has sought medical advice and undergone a battery of tests which have shown a significant issue with his right hip, the result of “wear and tear” after almost three decades in the saddle.
He has another option which could see him return to riding as early as mid-way through next month: take a cortisone injection which will temporarily alleviate the pain.
It could allow the Australian-born jockey to potentially battle on until Hong Kong’s international meeting in December, but Bowman would likely require further help from a cortisone shot later in the season.
“Scans have shown there’s an issue and I’m seeking medical advice on the best way to approach it,” Bowman told Idol Horse.
Bowman’s absence has been an early-season blow to the Jockey Club’s riding roster, especially given the 46-year-old was favoured to finish second behind Hong Kong’s all-conquering Zac Purton in the premiership race again in 2026-27.
The repercussions of Bowman’s injury are already rippling through Hong Kong, with Luke Ferraris booked to ride Derby hero Invincible Ibis when he returns in the Celebration Cup on September 27.
Ferraris rode the horse earlier in its career and was the preferred option to deputise for Bowman.
Bowman spent a significant part of the Hong Kong off-season in Sydney, where he made a rare appearance on a Group 1 day riding Lindermann in the Winx Stakes, the race named after arguably Australia’s greatest ever thoroughbred.
Winx won 33 consecutive races to end her career including four Cox Plates, with Bowman aboard for 31 of those triumphs.
History will treat Bowman kindly, his place among the country’s best saddle stars is secure, and he still has ambition to keep riding for a while yet.
In an interview with Idol Horse before the start of the Hong Kong season, in which he partnered Mark Newnham’s Joyful Joy to an opening day win, Bowman spoke of his desire to potentially lower his minimum riding weight from 126 pounds during the 2026-27 campaign.
“I’ve only been here three-and-a-half years now, but it comes down to motivation,” Bowman said. “If you prepare properly, it’s no problem. If you want to cut corners, then the results will show. It’s about discipline with your preparation, like any business.
“When you’re younger, if you cut corners you just work a bit harder. At my age your body won’t allow that. That’s something I’ve learned in Hong Kong. I’ll always do the extra work, but I have to do the right work and be smart about how I do it.”
His 2025-26 season produced a string of highlights, most notably Invincible Ibis’ spectacular Derby win and My Wish breaking through for Newnham at Group 1 level in the Champions Mile.
But his own harshest critic, Bowman wasn’t satisfied with what he described as lean periods throughout the season, eventually shading Andrea Atzeni by one win to finish second in the premiership – 79 victories behind runaway champion Purton.
“I had a couple of quiet periods throughout the year,” Bowman said. “I’m one to always look on where I can improve.
“We headlined with winning the Derby and My Wish in the Champions Mile, so it’s easy to reflect on the good times. But I thought I lacked consistency throughout the entire season, more so than the first couple of years. That’s something I’d like to improve on.
“Overall, the support network was very good and that’s an important factor in the success. You can’t win if you’re not on the right horses. It’s probably something I’ll pay more attention to.
“I was probably a bit complacent in my position, which maybe led to a couple of quiet periods throughout the year.
“You’ve also got to keep pretty level expectations about everything. I’m not someone to get too (up or down). I used to get pretty uptight when things weren’t going well, but not anymore. I’ve got to balance that with not being too complacent either.” ∎
