Welsh jockey’s dad and brother fined as two horses fail drug tests

Peter and Mickey Bowen – the dad and brother of champion jockey Sean – have been fined £5,000

Two Welsh horse trainers – the dad and brother of back-to-back champion jockey Sean Bowen – have been fined £5,000 and had two winners disqualified after both horses failed drug tests.

Peter and Mickey Bowen are the father and older brother respectively of top riders Sean, who was crowned champion jumps jockey for the second time this year, and James.

The father-son training partnership was operating under the same licence at the time of the positive tests, but Mickey has been the sole trainer since last May.

The pair appeared in a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.

They were fined £4,000 for breaching rule (K)2.2, which dictates that no category B substance may be present in a horse’s system on the day it is engaged to run in a race.

They were also fined a further £1,000 for breaking rule (D)24, which requires trainers to maintain clear, accurate records of any medications administered to horses in their care within 48 hours of treatment.

The two horses, Flying Fortune and Olivers Travels, have also been disqualified from races after the breaches came to light.

Flying Fortune has been stripped of the win in the Grade 2 Persian War at Chepstow, for which they picked up just shy of £30,000 back in October 2024 – with Sean’s brother James on board that day.

The Persian War is one of prime races in the calendar and traditionally signals the start of the jumps season.

She was disqualified after a post-race urine sample revealed the presence of a local anaesthetic, procaine.

The race has been awarded to the John McConnell-trained Intense Approach.

A post-race urine sample from Olivers Travels following his victory in the 2m7f handicap chase at Worcester in August 2024 revealed the presence of dexamethasone, a corticosteroid commonly prescribed to manage inflammation or allergic reactions.

As such, the Emma Lavelle-trained Galloping Pride has subsequently been handed that win.

A BHA statement issued after a judicial panel hearing read: “Following this morning’s hearing before the independent Disciplinary Panel, the Panel has approved a Plea Agreement.

“The penalty for breaching Rule (K)2.2 is a £4,000 fine and (D)24 a £1,000 fine.

“The two horses involved (OLIVERS TRAVELS (IRE) and FLYING FORTUNE (IRE)) will be disqualified from their respective races at Worcester on 21 August 2024 and Chepstow on 11 October 2024.”