Balgowan

Both of those career wins have come in the last few months, which is the most interesting thing about where Balgowan is right now. The first came at Southwell in April 2025, and trainer Seamus Mullins had been quietly confident that a flat win might unlock something new in the horse. That theory has been worth following. His most recent victory came at Lingfield Park just three weeks ago, and jockey Ashley Lewis described it as a smooth, controlled performance — Balgowan jumped out well from a good draw, found himself in the right race at the right pace, and when the gap appeared he took it without being asked twice. That is not a horse scraping a win; that is a horse beginning to look at home.

His current form reads 2-1-3-4-7-3 — a second place and a win sandwiched around a couple of middling efforts. On normal ground he has won 2 of his 12 races (17%), which stands out sharply against his overall record, suggesting conditions really do matter with this horse. He also goes particularly well over longer trips of two miles or more, winning 1 from 6 at that distance — the same 17% figure — which is notably better than his performance elsewhere. When the ground is right and the race is run at a genuine pace over a decent distance, he is a different animal.

Mullins, who operates out of Wilsford-Cum-Lake in Wiltshire and has sent out 10 winners already this season, has spoken about mixing flat and hurdles races with Balgowan going forward. The plan seems to be keeping him fresh and finding the right spots. Most of his races have come at Class 6 level, which is the entry-level tier of the sport, but right now that is producing results. George Downing has ridden him in 10 of those 30 races, winning once together, and the pair clearly know each other well. With Balgowan racing just yesterday, there is no slowing this campaign down.