By Peter Moore at Lingfield Park Monday 19th January 2026
Sean Bowen’s relentless march towards this season’s jockey’s championship continued with a treble at Lingfield on Surrey National Day.
Bowen completed a 195-1 treble after steering Bollin Thou, Broken Vow and Gwennie May Jem across the line and in so doing bought up his 180th winner of the season.
Bollin Thou completed a hat trick for trainer Nick Scholfield in the 2m 3 ½ f novices handicap hurdle.
The treble started with Broken Vow who was a surprise winner at 20-1 in the opening bumper. A 7,000 gns purchase as a three-year-old from Kevin Prendergast, the filly was having her first run for Olly Murphy and managed to get up on the line to win by a head from Itsinthename.
Gwennie May Jem was having his fourth start for Murphy after moving from Dan Skelton’s yard.
Making all under Bowen, the six-year-old bolted home to score by ten lengths from Ronnies Reflection.
The feature race of the day, the Surrey National went to Nick Gifford’s Aworkinprogress who was completing his fourth win at the track.
The seven-year-old’s only defeat over fences came when fifth in the Welsh Grand National Trial on good to soft ground last time, but he thrived on softer conditions at his first try over the 3m5f trip.
Ridden by James Davies in JP McManus’s green and gold silks, Aworkinprogress made good headway turning for home and stayed on well to fend off Catch Catchfire’s persistent challenge in the straight to win by a neck.
The winning trainer said: “The one blip on his CV was he was last seen at Chepstow, where the ground was nearly good that day which he doesn’t have the pace for. But he’s a proper old-fashioned staying chaser who loves soft ground and he got those conditions today.
“James gave him a lovely patient ride. He stayed the new trip and jumped super, especially out of this ground.”
Gifford added: “The graph is still heading north, which is nice. I’m not sure where we will go next, maybe the Eider or the Midlands National, but the weather will dictate wherever we go as they run him off his feet on good ground.”
Another day and another winner for Ben Jones and Ben Pauling after Wondering Why took the 2m maiden hurdle to give Jones his 60th winner of the season.
After hitting the front, he pulled clear of the field to win going away by five lengths and give the Basher Watts Racing Syndicate another winner.
Having seen their horse My Mate AJ finish fourth in the opener, the large contingent of members were in full voice after welcoming Wondering Why back to the winner’s enclosure.