Balboa

His most recent win came at Ayr in April 2026, around two months ago, and his last six runs tell the story of a horse who is very much in form: a win, two third-place finishes, a fourth, and another third. That is a horse who is competitive and honest rather than brilliant, the kind who will rarely embarrass you but equally will not always reward your faith. He raced just yesterday, so he is very much in the thick of a busy campaign right now.

Seamus Mullins trains him out of Wilsford-Cum-Lake in Wiltshire, a yard that has sent out 10 winners this season — solid, workmanlike output from a trainer who knows his horses. Mullins has spoken warmly about Balboa, describing him at one point as a winner waiting to happen, a horse who had a decent early career but perhaps found himself slightly overmatched as his rating climbed. There is a sense from the trainer that when the conditions and the distance line up, Balboa can deliver. His first win came at Chepstow back in October 2023, on wet, soft ground — and the trainer who saddled him that day noted that he took a little while to fully commit to jumping but seemed to handle the conditions well once he did.

Most of his racing has come at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle of the British racing ladder, and he has won 1 of 13 races at that grade. His most regular jockey, Micheal Nolan, has yet to ride him to a win across seven attempts together, though the placing record tells you he has not been far away. Balboa is the definition of a horse worth keeping an eye on — he will not win often, but when everything clicks, he clearly can.