Ostend

Trained by Mickey Bowen out of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Ostend is part of a yard that has been firing this season — 52 winners is a serious total and marks Bowen out as a trainer in confident form. Ostend himself opened his account at Kilbeggan back in April 2023, and then had to wait the best part of two years for his next win, which came at Market Rasen in March 2025. That gap tells its own story. Bowen has spoken openly about it being an up-and-down season, with foot issues and wind problems combining to keep the horse off the track at key moments. The fact that Bowen had him fitted with a tongue-tie at Market Rasen and also had his wind treated suggests this was a horse being rebuilt as much as just trained.

The Market Rasen win clearly felt significant. Bowen described it as seeing "the horse we thought we had" — which is the kind of phrase that speaks to quiet frustration finally giving way to relief. Better ground made a real difference that day, and jockey Toby McCain-Mitchell has been kept on board since. At the Class 3 level where Ostend tends to operate — one of the better tiers of everyday racing — he has actually won one from four attempts there, which works out at 25%, a solid return at that standard.

His recent form reads as a horse coming back to life: a win in March 2025, then a third at Southwell on his first run back after that break, jumping well again and catching the eye. Bowen has Bangor pencilled in as the next target, with the month still to run. For a horse who has spent much of his career interrupted by one thing or another, the fact that he raced just yesterday and his trainer is already planning his next run feels like the most optimistic sign of all.