He’s yet to recapture that exciting early-career form as a three-year-old, but two years on the stepping stones are well in place for a home-course five-year-old at Wednesday’s Kensington meeting.
Sydney Bowler, a talented and still lightly raced gelding in the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton stable, tackles a competitive Benchmark 78 Handicap for the older gallopers over 1250m to close the meeting.
Sydney Bowler makes it three from three two years ago, with Jason Collett in the saddle.Credit: Getty
It comes three weeks after he returned to racing at Canterbury for his first run since early May.
Settling a mile off the speed and in an unsuitably run race, Sydney Bowler still picked up late under a hefty 61kg to finish just over three lengths from the winner in BM 72 company.
And with a significant 3kg weight drop, Sydney Bowler emerges as one of the real value “plays” across the meeting.
Certainly, it will be a long-awaited reward for owners and punters’ patience if the son of Deep Field fires.
His form was only fair through last prep, although he tacked some deeper BM 78 metropolitan fields, as well as two outings at the provincials.
Yet wind the clock back to late 2023 for a reminder of what Sydney Bowler can do.
In the space of four weeks as a three-year-old, he comfortably won three straight races up to metro BM 72 level, but soon after the setbacks arrived, including veterinary-induced suspensions for a year.
It’s been a long and slow road back, but Sydney Bowler still may have his best racing in front of him ahead of only his 10th start.
