Fairlawn Flyer

Trained by Mickey Bowen at Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Fairlawn Flyer has spent most of his career competing at Class 4 level — the solid, bread-and-butter tier of racing where genuine, consistent horses make their name. He has won 5 of 18 races at that level, which tells you he belongs there and more than holds his own. The yard itself has been in fine form, sending out 51 winners this season alone, and Fairlawn Flyer is very much part of that story. His most regular partner in the saddle has been Sean Bowen, who has ridden him in 21 races and won 8 of them — that is winning roughly 2 in every 5 times they team up, a remarkable ratio that speaks to a genuine understanding between horse and rider.

Bowen is clearly a fan. After winning at Cartmel on wet ground last June, he described Fairlawn Flyer as "a dude of a horse" — which from a jockey is about as warm a tribute as you'll get. He highlighted the horse's attitude, his ability to stay very well over long distances, and his willingness to dig in when challenged. Perth is where the horse first announced himself, winning there on 23 September 2021, and he has gone on to win 2 of just 3 races at the track — the kind of record that makes trainers pencil in a course before they've even looked at the calendar.

The plan for the season ahead sounds straightforward and sensible. Trainer Mickey Bowen has spoken about targeting the Highlands National at Perth again — a race Fairlawn Flyer won last year — and a veterans' race over a staying trip at Cartmel, which Bowen believes he will take a lot of beating in. The trainer's enthusiasm for these veteran races comes through clearly; he sees them as giving older horses a genuine extra lease of life, and Fairlawn Flyer is exactly the kind of horse those races were made for. He raced just yesterday and is still very much in the thick of things. At ten years old, he is not winding down — he is lining up his next target.