Horse Racing: Hugh Bowman will ride Talbragar at The Kosciuszko on Saturday

Both originally hail from Dunedoo, roughly two-and-a-half hours southwest of Tamworth, and the five-year-old gelding's name is a reference to the area.

"The horse was bred in Dunedoo, born and bred there by Mr Altomonte who grew up there as I did," Bowman said.

"The Talbragar River runs through our property, then through Dunedoo, and through the [Corumbene Stud, owned by George Altomonte]."

Ever the pragmatist, this throwback to Bowman's upbringing will not distract the veteran jockey when they contest The Kosciuszko this weekend.

Indeed, when asked if the connection to his hometown made the opportunity to ride Talbragar more poignant, Bowman's focus shone through.

"Only if we win," he said.

Which he knows will be a tough ask on the talented but inexperienced young firebrand.

"He's going to need some excitement on Saturday, it's going to be a good race," Bowman said.

"It's a bit hard to gauge exactly where this horse fits from a realistic point of view. He's got plenty of talent but he's probably still maturing a bit.

"The best is yet to come with him, but [The Kosciuszko] is going to be a good yardstick of where he's at now and what he might be capable of doing in the future."

With three wins from three starts in his career, Talbragar has compiled a healthy resume but will face his sternest challenge yet at The Kosciuszko.

Although he is aiming to win the race, Bowman also knows the field looks to be the strongest it has ever been, and Talbragar could hold his head high just by "making his presence felt".

"It's high quality for the class of horse it attracts. It'll be an intense race on a huge day of racing," he said.

Talbragar is trained by Tamworth's Cody Morgan, who acknowledged just how huge having a jockey of Bowman's calibre was to his hopes for the race.

Among a long list of career achievements, the 42-year-old has won the NSW Metropolitan Jockey Premiership four times, ridden 100 Group 1 winners, and was the jockey for Winx for five years until her retirement in 2019.

"When you have someone like Hugh riding, who's a country boy, he knows how much it means to not just me, but all the country trainers," Morgan said.

"[His presence in the saddle] just gives you confidence."

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