Doyen Magic

Trained by P J Rothwell out of Tinahely in County Wicklow, Doyen Magic is part of a yard having a productive season — 35 winners sent out so far. Rothwell clearly knows how to place a horse, and with two wins at different tracks (Kilbeggan in July and Limerick in November of last year), Doyen Magic has shown it can win on different courses and at different times of year. That's not nothing.

The partnership with jockey Tiernan Power Roche is one to watch, if cautiously. Together they've won 1 from 6 races — roughly 1 in every 6 — which at 17% is actually a better return than the horse's overall career win rate. There's something working there, even if the wins haven't come as regularly as anyone would like lately.

And that's the honest caveat: Doyen Magic hasn't won in its last six races. The most recent form reads 10-5-2-–-2-–, which shows a couple of close calls — those second-place finishes suggest the ability is still there, flickering — but the winner's enclosure has stayed just out of reach since November 2025, now seven months ago. Horses that run second can be frustrating to follow, but they also tend to find a way back eventually. Doyen Magic raced just one day ago, which means it's firmly in the mix and the team clearly believes there's more to come. Whether the next win arrives soon or makes you wait a little longer, this is a horse still doing enough to justify watching.