Balboa

Trained by Seamus Mullins out of Wilsford-Cum-Lake in Wiltshire — a yard that has sent out 10 winners already this season — Balboa competes mostly at Class 4 level, which is solidly mid-tier racing. He has won just 1 of his 13 races at that level, but the placing record tells a more flattering story: he is a horse who turns up, competes, and rarely embarrasses himself. His first win came at Chepstow in October 2023, and even then Mullins was candid, noting they got a touch of luck with late non-runners — though he added that Balboa handled wet, muddy ground well and looked like a horse who would keep improving.

What Mullins said back in January is worth dwelling on. He described Balboa as "a winner waiting to happen," and suggested he had been slightly overrated early in his career — asked to do too much too soon, which left him treading water for a while. That kind of honest self-assessment from a trainer is often a good sign. It means they understand what the horse needs, and the Ayr win five weeks ago suggests they have found the right conditions and trip to bring out the best in him.

His most frequent jockey, Micheal Nolan, has yet to win in seven rides together, which is a curious subplot — though in a yard firing on all cylinders this season, the partnership may simply be waiting for its moment. Recent form of a win, a second, and two thirds from his last four completed races is as consistent as this horse has looked in some time. At six years old and in current form, Balboa may have more wins in him yet.