And, he might have something special in Alchera, who made a stunning debut.

The talented three-year-old galloper, ridden to perfection by Grant Buckley, saluted the judges in the Segenhoe Maiden Plate (900m) to claim the spoils from Rod Northam’s Harbouring (Robert Thompson), with Rodney Ollerton’s Our Vera (Ashley Morgan) in third.

But, despite being over the moon with the result, the young mentor isn’t getting too far ahead of himself either.

“We’ll just take it run-by-run in the early stages,” Bowen said.

“She pulled up well, so I’ll give her a couple of days rest.

“Then, owner Vicky Brown and I will look at where we’re going with her.

“Alchera was originally with Ben Smith before he received his suspension.

“So, I was lucky enough to secure her after a spell.

“She’s a fair filly.”

There were still some anxious moments for Bowen, with a photo-finish determining the outcome.

“It was a nail-biter – a real head-to-head battle down the straight,” the 25-year-old said.

“However, she never gave up.

“After being thrown in to the deep end, and without a run under her belt, I was impressed by her natural ability.

“Grant [Buckley] gave her a good rap, too.

“She can only improve and develop from here on in.

“Vicky also wanted to add a bit of value to Alchera’s brother, so I’m glad I did it [win] for her, too.” 

Bowen, who’s been training for about 18 months, has enjoyed moderate success with mare Bushie’s Crumpet without cracking it for a victory from 15 starts.

“She’s gone close a few times, with a second and two thirds,” he said.

“But, in saying that, it was good to get the monkey finally off my back this week.

“I’m hoping my next win is a lot sooner.”

Bowen was quick to praise his grandmother, well-respected local trainer Jan Bowen, and her partner Pat Farrell for their support.

“I’ve been very lucky,” he said.

“I can turn to Jan and Pat for advice – they’re a big influence on me.

“In fact, I couldn’t ask for a better grounding.”