The recent form figures of 3-8-3-2-3 tell an interesting story. Strip out that one off-day when Bells Grove finished eighth, and you have a horse that has been placed in every other run, including a runner-up finish that suggests it can mix it with winners. That is not a horse falling short through lack of ability — it is a horse that keeps knocking on the door without quite being able to kick it open.
Bells Grove is trained by Edward Buckley, whose yard in Ratoath, County Meath has sent out five winners this season. That is a modest but steady operation, and a horse with Bells Grove's level of consistency will be high on the list of horses the team believes can add to that tally. With four places already banked from five races, this is clearly not a horse being campaigned without purpose — at some point, the placings tend to turn into wins, and Bells Grove looks overdue.
The horse raced just yesterday, so there is plenty of this story still to be written.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 25 Oct | 0% |
| Downpatrick Undulating |
1 | 1 second | 19 Sep | 0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
1 | 1 other | 24 Apr | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 30 May | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 20 Aug | 0% |