Racing: Bowman closer to milestone

Hugh Bowman. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The chase is on for leading jockey Hugh Bowman.

With just 10 meetings of the season remaining Bowman needs 14 wins to reach a century of Sydney winners for the first time in his career.

Bowman, who has missed the past two Sydney meetings through Brisbane commitments and then illness, will look to edge closer to the milestone at Rosehill today with six rides including Tromso in the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m).

"If I can have a couple of good days, maybe get a couple of trebles, then I'm right on target," Bowman said. "I'll need a couple of good days, but there's no reason why that can't happen."

The 31-year-old won his first Sydney jockeys' premiership in 2008/09, falling just short of a century with 98 winners.

He looks set to claim his second jockeys' title this season with a 15 win lead over nearest rival Nash Rawiller who isn't riding today.

Bowman was ruled out of Wednesday's Canterbury meeting through illness which was disappointing at the time but in hindsight didn't prove costly for the hoop.

"If I had missed a couple of winners it would have been pretty disappointing. But if you are sick, you are sick, so I couldn't really be disappointed," Bowman said.

"If I could have been there I would have been."

The Chris Waller-trained Tromso is on the third line of TAB Sportsbet betting for the Civic Stakes on the back of a strong 1100m first-up Rosehill win and a fifth in the Group Three Healy Stakes (1200m) in Brisbane last Saturday.

"He's a smart horse who has got a beautiful action," Bowman said.

"He looks the winner more often than not and just doesn't quite get there but he's a consistent galloper and looks pretty well-placed."

Bowman has ridden Tromso in eight of his 24 starts for one win, three seconds and four unplaced efforts.

Two-year-old Grand Business, a three-length last start winner at the Newcastle metropolitan fixture, is favourite in the Hakka Foods Handicap (1200m) and could get Bowman off to the perfect start in the opening race.

He also rides Divya in the Pacific West Handicap (1200m), Nissile in the Significant Stakes (1900m), More Rocco in the Chiko Handicap (1200m) and Lodge The Deeds in the Four'n Twenty Legendary Angus Handicap (1900m).

-AAP