Ballydangan

The horse has raced 31 times in its career and found the winner's enclosure just twice, giving it a modest 6% win rate. But the numbers get more interesting when you factor in ground conditions. Ballydangan thrives when the turf has some give in it — on softer, slightly muddy ground, it has won 2 of 6 races (33%), which is a significant improvement on its overall record. It prefers not to run on fast, dry going. In its recent form over the last six races, it has been competitive without winning, finishing fourth twice and seventh once, suggesting it remains a live prospect at the right track in the right conditions.

Peter Kavanagh, its regular jockey, has ridden Ballydangan ten times and won twice — a 20% win rate that sits well above what the horse achieves with other riders. That partnership matters. The horse is trained by Hugh Burns at Alnwick, in Northumberland, a modest yard that has managed two winners this season. Ballydangan may not be a superstar, but at nine years old and still racing actively, it remains a capable performer in Class 5 company, where it has won twice from 12 races. For a horse at this level, with a sympathetic ride, the right ground, and a return to Hexham, there is genuine reason to keep watching.