Ballylicky Bay

That win arrived at Bangor-on-Dee on 21 June 2025, and it is the defining moment of Ballylicky Bay's career so far. Bangor-on-Dee is a tight, turning track in North Wales — the sort of place where a horse either takes to the bends or doesn't — and Ballylicky Bay clearly took to it. At Class 4 level, which is the middle tier of British racing, it has won 1 from 3, which works out at 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 races at that grade. That is a solid return and suggests the horse is well-suited to the level it is currently competing at.

Paul O'Brien is the jockey most associated with Ballylicky Bay, partnering the horse in 5 of its 6 races and riding it to its only win. Their record together stands at 1 win from 5, which is a 20% win rate — roughly 1 in every 5 rides ending in victory. That is a decent number, and the fact that their partnership has produced the horse's best result suggests a working relationship that is worth maintaining. The trainer is Kevin Pickard, whose yard has sent out 2 winners this season — a modest total, but not a yard that is firing blanks entirely.

What makes the current moment interesting is that Ballylicky Bay raced just one day ago, meaning it is bang in form right now. The recent run of results — five, five, five, eight, third, first — shows a horse that won, then placed, then drifted to a string of mid-field finishes. Whether it can rediscover what it showed at Bangor-on-Dee is the question worth asking. There is clearly ability here; the challenge for Pickard and O'Brien is finding the right opportunity to unlock it again.