Ballintubber Boy

Across its career, Ballintubber Boy has won 7 races from 23 outings — roughly 30%, or about 1 in every 3 races — and has placed (finished in the top three) a further 12 times. That means in nearly every race it has ever run, this horse has featured. Its last win came at Huntingdon in October 2024, and while it hasn't won in its six most recent races, a glance at that recent form — 6-2-2-3-5-2 — shows a horse that keeps turning up and competing. Two second-place finishes in the last six runs isn't a horse falling apart; it's a horse knocking on the door.

The partnership with jockey Sam Twiston-Davies is one of the most striking parts of the story. In 14 races together, they've won 6 times — a win rate of 43%, or nearly 3 in every 7 races as a pair. That's a remarkable number. For context, even the very best jockey-trainer combinations in Britain rarely sustain that kind of return over a meaningful number of races. It also helps that Sam is the son of trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who trains Ballintubber Boy alongside his son Willy at their yard in Naunton, Gloucestershire — a family operation that has sent out 61 winners already this season, which is a serious tally.

The horse tends to race at Class 4 level — a solid mid-tier grade — and has won 6 of its 14 races at that level, again at 43%. That consistency tells you this is a horse that's been placed in the right races throughout its career, competitive without being thrown in out of its depth. It raced just yesterday, so it's fit and active. Whether another trip to Huntingdon is on the cards isn't clear, but if it does head back there, the form book would say: pay attention.