Off The Jury

His regular jockey, David Maxwell — who also owns him — has partnered him eight times without a win. That is a frustrating run for anyone, but Maxwell has been candid about why. After one race at Wetherby, he admitted he spent the whole way down the back with both hands on the left rein trying to stop the horse drifting, and that Off The Jury hung through the home straight too. At Doncaster, he said flatly that on all the form the horse should have won, but didn't. There is real talent in there — Maxwell has said so himself — it just does not always come out in a straight line.

When conditions click into place, though, the picture changes sharply. On normal ground, Off The Jury has won 2 of his 4 races — a 50% win rate that is remarkable for any horse at any level. That is not a fluke; that is a horse who genuinely thrives when the track suits him. His first win came at Cartmel in late May 2026, and he has just won again at Worcester this week — his most recent run was only yesterday — making it two wins from his last six races, which is easily the best form of his career so far.

He is trained by Mickey Bowen out of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, and the yard is clearly in excellent health right now, having sent out 52 winners already this season. Bowen first described Off The Jury back in 2023 as an expensive purchase from the Punchestown sale — a big, scopey horse with a future over fences — who would spend a season over hurdles first. The fact that he is still at it three years on, and only now putting a run of wins together, perhaps reflects just how long it has taken for this horse's ability to find its way onto the racecourse in a consistent way. But two wins in three weeks, both on ground that suits, suggests something may finally be clicking.