He may have endured a bumpy first full season in Hong Kong, but on the eve of a new campaign Hugh Bowman is determined to reach a century of winners and potentially challenge for the premiership.

After collecting 69 wins in a 2023-24 season plagued by injury and suspension, 44-year-old Bowman has made reaching the 100 mark and avoiding the wrath of stewards his main focuses this term.

“I do think I’m a chance for the premiership, but that’s not where my focus is,” Bowman said. “I want to ride 100 winners and I think that is an achievable goal for me. But to do that, I have to be at the races every meeting and perform.

“I feel like I’ve had a really good freshen-up over the break. I’m really content with the support I’ve been receiving and I’m looking forward to building on that this year.”

After a scintillating start to the season saw him collect 17 victories from the first 10 meetings, Bowman experienced a stop-start middle third of the campaign, enduring nasty injuries suffered in a race fall, a number of bans and a cumulative 27 race days watching on from the sidelines.

Despite spending less time than expected in the saddle, Bowman still enjoyed his fair share of big-race success, collecting two legs of the Classic Series on Helios Express and the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) aboard Invincible Sage.

“It was my first full season in Hong Kong and I feel very comfortable here now,” Bowman said. “I had an unreal opening two months last season and that set a platform for a really good year, but the accident and the suspensions disrupted everything.

“I was hitting the target at a rate that was probably unsustainable for the whole year so I don’t really expect to come out of the blocks quite so well, but who knows. I want to try and build on that momentum and hold that for the whole season.

“I’ll concentrate on what I can do best for the horses I’m riding and then when we get to midway through next year, the proof will be in the pudding whether I can challenge for the premiership or not.”

The Australian ace will aim to get his campaign off to a perfect start at Sha Tin’s season opener on Sunday, with his solid book of eight rides headlined by Flying Ace in the Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m).

The David Hall-trained seven-year-old was a consistent customer at Group level last season and bids for a second success in Class One.

“He’s probably high up in the weights for this type of race but he’s earned that weight,” Bowman said. “He was one of the most consistent horses at this level last season and if he can bring that to the races this Sunday, he’ll certainly be competitive.”

Of his remaining rides, Bowman rates another David Hall-trained galloper as his best chance, with Geneva lining up in the second section of the Class Four Yi Tung Shan Handicap (1,200m).

“He’s probably been under par for what he does at home,” Bowman said. “We feel he’s a better horse than what results have been. If we can see him step up to what he shows us at trackwork and trials, then he should win the race.

“But we’re yet to see him deliver and we’re taking him on trust. He’s in good form and I’ve sat on him a couple of times already, so he gives us confidence going into the race.”