Grand National 2025 jockey riding 25-1 shot but is allergic to horses | Racing | Sport

An accomplished jockey from Wales, who has over 1,000 wins under his belt, will be taking part in the Grand National despite being allergic to horses. Sean Bowen is due to ride Three Card Brag for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott and will be desperate to deliver on the biggest stage of all. The chances of a momentous victory are less than likely, though, with current odds of 25/1.

Bowen hails from a racing background, with his parents Peter and Karen having trained horses for many years. As a child, he was obsessed with football but eventually got into racing. He was determined to follow in the family business, even if it meant putting his allergies to one side.

“I still am [allergic to horses] now a little bit, it’s a bit of a weird one,” Bowen told BBC Sport. “If my dad would come in from clipping and there’d be horse hair everywhere, I’d be itching for days.

“Even now, sometimes if I spend all morning around horses, I’d be sneezing for the rest of the day. I can’t say I grew up loving it. I enjoyed football until I was around 11. I started riding when I was about 10.

“I suppose both my brothers got into riding ponies and then I had no-one to play football with, so I had to get on the ponies instead.”

Bowen will be up against his younger brother James, who has ridden more than 400 winners, in this weekend’s Grand National. The latter will be aboard Chantry House, trained by the legendary Nicky Henderson, at huge odds of 100/1.

“It’s amazing, very few people get to have their brother in a changing room with them every day,” said Bowen.

“When he started riding, he pushed me to do better. It’s something quite unique that we’re both doing something that we’re both successful at.”

The brothers, who grew up in Pembrokeshire, were forced to share the spoils at this year’s Cheltenham Festival after a dead heat was recorded between their horses in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.

“I was finishing well and we pulled up and he [James] was depressed because he thought he got beat,” explained Bowen. “When they called the dead heat, it was amazing.

“It’s one of those things you know doesn’t happen very often, let alone happen with a brother. The fact it was at Cheltenham, obviously the biggest racecourse in the country, it was incredible. I hope it happens again.”