Hugh Bowman to ride Santa Ana Lane in HK

Hugh Bowman will replace the suspended Mark Zahra on Santa Ana Lane in Hong Kong.

Hugh Bowman has picked up the ride on star sprinter Santa Ana Lane for his international debut in Hong Kong.

Bowman replaces the suspended Mark Zahra on the five-time Group One winner in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on April 28, a race Australian Chautauqua won in 2016.

Zahra rode the Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane to victory in the TJ Smith at Randwick on the opening day of The Championships but incurred a hefty suspension at Randwick last Saturday for his part in a fall that left Andrew Adkins hospitalised.

Zahra is appealing the severity of the suspension after also incurring a $3800 fine.

Bowman was also suspended at Randwick but his ban finishes on the day of the big Hong Kong meeting.

“Pleased to have engaged @HughBowman for Santa Ana Lane in the next Sunday’s Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin,” Freedman Racing tweeted on Tuesday.

“Santa worked well at Flemington this morning ahead of his flight to Hong Kong on Monday afternoon.”