Ballybow

In February 2025, Ballybow won a Grade 3 race at Clonmel — that is one of the better races in Ireland, the kind that catches the eye of the serious people in the sport. It was not just the result that impressed; his rider Sam Ewing noted how much he loved the wet ground that day and how comfortably he could handle a longer distance. After that win, trainer Gordon Elliott sent him to the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, one of the most competitive races in the calendar. It did not go to plan — he finished well down the field — but going there in the first place tells you the yard believed he belonged at that level.

Since then, Ballybow has gone six races without winning, and his recent finishing positions — 8th, 5th, 5th, 9th, 9th, and 4th reading from oldest to most recent — suggest a horse that has not quite found his groove. But Elliott is not worried. Speaking recently, he indicated that the Clonmel win and the Cheltenham run were essentially with the old version of this horse. The plan now is to switch him to fences — a more demanding discipline, but one that often suits horses who have hit a ceiling on the flat racing surface. Elliott is waiting for some wet weather before running him in a beginners' chase, suggesting ground conditions will be key to seeing him at his best.

Elliott's yard has sent out 209 winners this season alone, which is a staggering number — roughly four winners every week. When a trainer operating at that volume says he has a feeling about a horse, it is worth listening. Ballybow last raced just yesterday and remains an active runner. Whether the fences unlock something new in him remains to be seen, but the combination of a Grade 3 win, a Cheltenham crack, and a patient trainer with a clear plan makes this a horse worth keeping an eye on as the autumn rain arrives.