Ammes

His first career win came at Chepstow in May 2025, and he returned to the same track in October to win again, this time carrying a penalty — the extra weight racing applies to horses who have recently won, to level the playing field. Winning under that kind of handicap is harder, and doing it well is harder still. Owen admitted afterwards he wasn't sure of the quality of what he'd beaten, but the manner of the victory was enough to make him think bigger. The conversations quickly turned to Listed races — one step below the very top tier in British racing — and, beyond that, a potential run at the Cheltenham Festival, the sport's most prestigious week.

What makes Ammes genuinely interesting is how he performs on normal ground: three wins from six races in standard conditions, a 50% win rate. That is remarkable. It means that whenever the ground comes up right for him, he is as likely to win as not. He also finds his best form over longer distances of two miles or more, suggesting he is a horse that settles into a rhythm and gets stronger the further he goes.

His most regular partner in the saddle is Sean Bowen, one of the sport's leading jump jockeys, and together they have won 2 of their 6 races — roughly 1 in every 3, which is an excellent partnership ratio. Bowen's post-race comments after an early win over hurdles were honest and encouraging: the jumping needed polish, but the raw talent was obvious. Owen has since spoken about Ammes as a "dual-purpose" horse, meaning one capable of competing on the Flat and over jumps, and as a horse "with plenty of scope" — trainer-speak for a horse they believe has not yet shown its ceiling.

He hasn't won in his last six races, and the four attempts at Class 2 level — among the top races in Britain — have yielded nothing yet. But he raced just yesterday and is clearly being pointed at bigger targets. James Owen's yard has sent out 201 winners this season alone. They know what a good horse looks like.