Ballyhiho

Across 13 races in total, Ballyhiho has won twice and placed five times, which works out at roughly 1 win in every 6 or 7 races — not a horse that wins constantly, but one that is competitive more often than not. That record of 2 wins and 5 places from 13 races means it has come home in the first three on more than half its starts, which suggests a horse that runs honestly and usually gives its rider something to work with. The most recent form reads 1-5-4-4-3-2, so the win at Huntingdon came after a few runs where it was knocking on the door without quite getting through it. Timing matters in racing, and Ballyhiho picked its moment well.

Richie McLernon has been the regular rider, partnering the horse in 5 of its 13 races and winning 1 of those together — a 20% win rate as a pairing, which is actually a shade better than the horse's overall record. McLernon is an experienced jumps jockey and clearly knows the horse well enough to get the best out of it.

Most of Ballyhiho's races have come at Class 5 level — the entry-level tier of British racing — where it has won 1 from 7 races, a 14% win rate. That context matters. Class 5 is where plenty of horses spend their entire careers without ever troubling the judge, so having two wins on the board and a clutch of places at this level marks Ballyhiho out as a useful and competitive horse at its grade. The first win came at Worcester back in August 2025, and now Huntingdon in May 2026 makes it a two-course winner. A horse finding winners at two different tracks shows it is adaptable rather than dependent on one specific set of conditions.

With a race just 24 hours ago, Ballyhiho is as live a horse as you will find right now — and after winning this week, the team at Hinton on the Green will be watching with interest to see where the season takes it next.