Sean Bowen and Harry Skelton react to Windsor incident

Skelton, riding the JP McManus-owned 11/4 favourite Harry Lowes for his brother Dan, became locked in a pocket at a crucial stage of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Cup Novices' Handicap Hurdle, a race Bowen went on to win aboard the Olly Murphy-trained Scorpio Rising.

Harry Lowes appeared short of room and was hampered before the second-last flight, failing to recover properly and coming home a well-held fifth, after which Skelton made a move to go and speak to the champion jockey aboard the winning horse as they pulled up and returned to the winners' enclosure.

However, speaking from Lingfield on Monday, Skelton told Sky Sports Racing: "I think on the TV it (the incident) looks worse than it was. The nature of the track probably just caught both of us, I would say, a little bit off-guard.

“As I was travelling down to two-out, running around the dog-leg, I’ve just moved out to come off James’s (Bowen, rider of Fresh Kicks) heels, Sean has come in. Race-riding, he’s thinking I’m about to come out, I push him back in but… the nature of the track on that dog-leg, it just all went wrong for me and that was that.

“I did (take a significant bump), but it’s over, it was settled in the Stewards’ room and Sean was found to be accidental. We didn’t go very quick in the race and we were all starting to bunch up. I’ve caught James’s back end and I hope his horse is alright, it just all got messy very quickly.

“Sean Bowen is a brilliant rider, he’s very good tactically. He makes me ride better and I like to hope that I challenge him to improve him, and when you’re dealing with sport they are very fine margins.

“They (Bowens) are a great family, they’re good people, and he’s not out there to ride dirty in any way. He’s out there to ride competitively and so was I. We all had a bump, pulling up I think the words were ‘Sean, I’m pretty sure you’re getting days, and I can’t do a lot about it to defend you’. That is what it was and he was apologising.

“It's fairly safe to say I’ll never fall out with Sean Bowen - they are good people."

Commenting in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's contest, Bowen said: "It was legal, of course it was. I knew Harry was going best and he was using James as a target just ahead of him, and I wanted to get past him fast.

"I got past him before he realised I was coming and then he's tried to edge out while I'm already there. There's not much more that I can do about that is there? It's race-riding, I got past him fast and he wasn't able to get out. My horse was the best on the day. It was impressive, we always thought he was a three-miler but he's got quicker and he'll be a lovely chaser."

On Monday, Bowen said while in conversation with former rider Paddy Brennan on Sky Sports Racing: "I've learnt a lot of lessons from you Paddy and one of them is exactly what happened yesterday!

"I've had horses come fast on my outside and keep me in, ridden by Paddy Brennan a few times, and you learn from it. They are the moves you learn from top jockeys and take from watching top jockeys. Yesterday it worked out for me and some days it'll be on the other foot.

"Me and Harry have always been good mates and it won't change that."

The BHA Stewards Report on the day read: "An enquiry was held to consider interference approaching the second-last hurdle involving the winner, SCORPIO RISING (IRE), ridden by Sean Bowen, HARRY LOWES (IRE), placed fifth, ridden by Harry Skelton, FRESH KICKS (IRE), placed fourth, ridden by James Bowen, and KEL DU LARGE (FR), unplaced, ridden by Ciaran Gethings.

"The interference was found to be accidental in that shortly after straightening in a tightly bunched field, SCORPIO RISING (IRE) who had improved to the outside of HARRY LOWES (IRE), lugged slightly left-handed as HARRY LOWES (IRE) edged right-handed off the heels of a weakening FRESH KICKS (IRE).

"This resulted in FRESH KICKS' (IRE) hindquarters being turned and Skelton having to take a check on HARRY LOWES (IRE) with KEL DU LARGE (FR) having to switch right off the heels of HARRY LOWES (IRE)."

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.