There isn’t much room for sentiment in racing but Hugh Bowman is allowing himself just a little as he prepares to reunite with Streama in Saturday’s Group One Epsom Handicap.
Horse and jockey were almost inseparable during the mare’s early career combining to win seven races, two at Group One level.
Streama - Photo by Steve Hart
But she has gone around without Bowman in the saddle at four of her past five starts, including the most recent when she won the George Main Stakes.
The reasons for that are varied.
In the Doncaster Mile, Bowman couldn’t make her weight and she finished fourth with Glen Boss aboard.
Other times Bowman has had prior commitments.
But he was thrilled when connections offered him the chance to jump back in the saddle for one of the biggest races of the Sydney spring at Randwick.
“I’m delighted to be back on her,” Bowman said.
“Her form is good and she is such a consistent mare. She’s just a darling.”
The fact she is shaping as one of the leading contenders to win Saturday’s Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) doesn’t hurt either.
Streama will tackle the race at her third start this preparation after being edged out by Veyron in the Warwick Stakes before claiming the scalps of several Group One winners in the George Main.
She carried 57kg under the weight-for-age conditions of that race and drops to 54.5kg on Saturday.
In recent times the Epsom has invariably been won by emerging horses with light weights.
Only six of the past 20 winners have carried more than 54kg and betting on this year’s renewal reflects that.
Boban (53kg) and Toydini (54kg) are joint favourites – both are progressive horses not yet proven at Group One level.
But Bowman believes the profile of horse needed to win the major handicaps is changing as a result of a more compressed weight scale.
“These weight-for-age horses are now weighted beneficially,” he said.
“With Shoot Out not running, the weights have gone up a kilo and the ones down the bottom are closer in the handicap to the better-performed horses.
“The way the races are weighted now favours the better-performed animals.”
One factor not in Streama’s favour is the record of mares in the Epsom.
Only two have won it in the past 37 years – La Neige in 1976 and Secret Admirer who led in an all-mares trifecta two years ago.
Streama is the only mare in Saturday’s field of 17 runners.
