Queensbury Boy

Bowen's yard has been in fine form this season, sending out 52 winners, and Queensbury Boy has been one of the horses they speak about with real excitement. The trainer has described him as a "well-above-average" hurdler, and that assessment is backed up by the company he has been keeping. The one horse to beat him is Wingmen, a rival rated 139 who has placed in a couple of Grade 1 races — the very highest level in the sport. Losing to a horse of that calibre is not something to be embarrassed about. It is, if anything, a clue about the ceiling.

His most natural partnership is with David Maxwell, who is both owner and jockey — a combination you do not see often at this level. Together they have won 3 of their 5 races, a remarkable 60% win rate. Maxwell has spoken about the experience of riding him with obvious affection, calling him "very straightforward" and pointing to next season's chasing career as something to look forward to. Bowen, meanwhile, has hinted that a race called the Persian War is in their sights — a clear sign they believe he belongs in better company.

The most recent win came at Newbury in March 2025, and while he has not won in the six races since, the form figures — a second and another second among them — suggest a horse still knocking on the door rather than one in decline. He raced just yesterday, keeping him at the front of the trainer's mind going into whatever comes next. His first win came at Chepstow on Boxing Day 2023, and the journey since then — through Punchestown, Newbury, and beyond — tells the story of a horse steadily stepping up in grade and largely holding his own. The chasing career ahead of him is, by all accounts, the chapter everyone around him is most looking forward to.