Balkardy

What makes Balkardy worth watching, though, is how much his form improves on certain surfaces. On normal ground, he wins 4 from 15 races — that's better than one in four, a genuinely strong record. On wet or muddy ground, it gets even better: he's won 2 from 7, almost one in every three times. His trainer, Mrs C. Williams, works out of Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, and describes him as a tough, genuine little horse who runs well at small tracks and handles all sorts of ground and distances. That versatility is valuable in racing — it means there's always likely to be a race somewhere that suits him.

Where Balkardy really shows his class is at Class 4 level, where he's won 6 of 18 races — a 33% win rate that suggests he belongs at that grade and may struggle if pushed higher. Isabel Williams has been his most frequent partner, winning 5 of their 25 races together. Recent form has been frustrating: he hasn't won in his last six outings, though he did place twice. But he only raced a day ago, so there's clearly still appetite to keep finding him opportunities. At nine years old, Balkardy may be in the later stages of his career, but horses like this — honest, adaptable, genuine — can keep winning into their double figures if the yard find the right races at the right times.