Bowman steers Liapari to narrow victory

Champion jockey Hugh Bowman settled on a plan B and found a route to victory.

Hugh Bowman has concocted a masterful ride to reward Liapari’s perseverance with a narrow benchmark triumph at Rosehill.

Just when pre-race favourite Moss ‘N’ Dale and Reiby The Red appeared to be duelling for victory in the TAB Rewards Handicap on Saturday, Bowman switched Liapari to the rails as the post beckoned.

The four-year-old gelding then dived to upstage the duo, leaving Moss ‘N’ Dale ($2.35) second and Reiby The Red ($13) half-a-length back in third.

Bowman was shut out when he sought a split between the two horses with 100m left to travel, so he coolly moved to the fence.

“I had the option to go outside (Moss ‘N’ Dale) but in the end it closed before I got into it. Luckily I had another option,” he said after Liapari ended the 13th start of this preparation on a high.

Bowman credited trainer Chris Waller for having conditioned Liapari for the 1500m trip after a 28-day freshen-up.

“He’s a master at giving them a little freshen-up and then bringing them back and getting another good run out of them,” he said.

“(Liapari’s) in at the right time of year. He’ll be a consistent horse to follow at this level for another year or so.”

Sydney’s premier trainer also appreciated Bowman’s tactics after Liapari went two-from-two on heavy tracks.

“He cleverly kept him covered until that last hundred metres then he dived and attacked the line.

“(Liapari’s) been a pretty unlucky horse. He has won a few good races. If we could win another one or two he’s done a pretty good job,” he said.