Balon d'Or

The most recent Chester win came in September 2025, which is now nine months ago, and the six races since have produced nothing better than a fourth place. That current sequence — fourth, sixth, seventh, sixth, tenth, seventh — tells you this is a horse searching for form rather than finding it. But Balon d'Or raced just yesterday, which at least confirms the team still believes there is something to work with. Simon Dow, who trains the horse from his yard in Epsom, Surrey, has sent out 14 winners already this season, so he is in decent form himself.

What Dow said back in 2023 is still relevant context: even early on, he flagged that the horse was picking up good prize-money without necessarily winning, and that versatility across different ground conditions was one of its strengths. That has proven true — Balon d'Or has won on normal ground, winning 2 from 9 races in those conditions (22%), and has placed in enough other situations to remain a competitive presence at Class 4 level, which is the solid mid-tier of British racing, not the glamour end but not the bottom either.

The question now is whether Chester can work its magic again. It is not unusual for horses to develop a genuine affinity with a particular track — the tight, turning nature of Chester suits certain runners far better than open, galloping courses, and Balon d'Or's record there suggests the fit is real. With 3 wins and 9 places from 33 career races, this is a horse that earns its keep without ever threatening to be a headline act. Sometimes that is exactly what a yard needs.