AP McCoy hails successor Sean Bowen as he makes perfect start to stag do with huge win

Sean Bowen was paid the ultimate compliment by the sporting star he followed to become champion jockey. The new top rider of National Hunt racing was lavished with praise by Sir AP McCoy after winning the bet365 Gold Cup on 9-2 chance Resplendent Grey.

On the day he was crowned champion jockey, Bowen delivered the Olly Murphy-trained chaser with a perfect run to land the £175,000 feature race at Sandown Park. It was a final big win of 2024-25 for the Welshman, who heads off on his stag do in Tenerife on Sunday before his wedding to Harriet Matthews.

And Bowen was sent on his way by all-time great McCoy, who took the championship on 20 occasions, hailing him as a "top class jockey."

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Reviewing Bowen's ride on Racing, he said "You need to get horses to believe in you, to want to do it for you and give their all - that's what he is good at. Good at getting inside their heads.

"He convinces them all the way through. You see from the second last to the last and from the last to the winning post, he always looked like he was getting there.

"It was an all out ride but it was confident as well. He's a top class jockey, he won an Irish National last week. It is hard to get on good horses if you are not riding for , Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson. What a way to end the season."

Bowen will have to celebrate abroad without his best man and brother James, a super sub for Nico de Boinville on Constitution Hill at the Punchestown Festival next week or Harry Cobden, who joins him on the plane.

But Murphy, who kept Resplendent Grey in top form all season, might be tempted to join the party in the Canary Islands on the back of a career best for his stable with 140 winners and £1.6million in prize money.

"I've been a very small cog in Sean's wheel," he said. "He has been a massive part of Warren Chase. It's brilliant.

"I'm always an emotional man when I have big winners. There is a big team behind us both. This is absolutely magic."

Resplendent Grey travelled sweetly in first-time cheekpieces and collared Rachael Blackmore-ridden and Willie Mullins-trained Lombron after the final fence.

"Honestly the best two weeks of my life," said Bowen. "I hope it carries on forever."

Mullins - who saw off determined rival Dan Skelton to retain the trainers' championship - also saddled third High Class Hero (10-3 favourite), fourth Spanish Harlem (22-1) and fifth-placed Grangeclare West (14-1).

"I couldn't look at a TV or newspaper in the last week as people had me 1-12 (odds) to win it," he said. "We were running horses back quicker than we normally do so I couldn't come here with confidence.

"It's a tough game, I felt there was more publicity this year than last year. It's tough on Dan going home, but I was second six or seven times in Ireland before becoming champion, it doesn't come easy."