Bowensonfire

What makes the recent form particularly eye-catching is the shape of it. The last six runs read 13-1-1-2-3-3 from most recent back, which means after a rough day at the office it has rattled off two wins on the bounce, followed by three consecutive placed efforts before that. Two wins from its last six races is a serious clip for any horse, and the fact that it won at Leopardstown just eight weeks ago — one of Ireland's most prestigious tracks — tells you this is a horse competing at a decent level and holding its own.

The wet stuff suits it down to the ground. On genuinely muddy, heavy going, Bowensonfire has won 2 of 3 races — a 67% win rate. In other words, when the rain comes, the form goes up. That is useful information if you are watching the weather forecast ahead of its next run.

It is trained by Gordon Elliott at Longwood in County Meath, which is one of the most powerful operations in Irish racing right now. With 209 winners sent out this season alone, Elliott's yard is not a place where moderate horses get too many opportunities — so the fact that Bowensonfire keeps appearing in the runner lists says something in itself. Its most frequent partner in the saddle is Jack Kennedy, one of the top jump jockeys in the sport. Together they have won 3 of their 9 races, a win rate of 33% — roughly 1 in every 3 rides ends in victory. That is a strong partnership by any measure.

First winning at Limerick in January 2025, Bowensonfire has developed steadily since and, having raced just 16 days ago, is clearly a busy and healthy horse still in the thick of a productive season.