UK time :

Follow Your Heart

Eight years old and still at it, Follow Your Heart has built a quietly impressive career over 61 races — winning 10 of them and finishing in the frame 23 more times. That overall win rate of roughly 1 in every 6 races doesn't leap off the page, but the story behind it is more interesting than the headline figure suggests.Based on TrackLab's analysis
Quick facts
Age
8 years old
Sex
Gelding
Colour
Bay
Father
Estidhkaar
Mother
Al Gharrafa
Owner
S A Mares
Official rating
70

📊 Key numbers

Career totals for this horse
61
Career races
10
Wins
16.4%
Win rate
avg ~10%
37.7%
Top-3 rate
avg ~30%
96 days
Since last race

🔍 Full analysis

Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
TrackLab's detailed breakdown

The horse has made a home of Class 4 racing, which sits in the middle tier of British racing — competitive enough to mean something, without quite being the big occasions at the top of the sport. At that level, Follow Your Heart has won 7 from 33 races, which works out at 1 in every 5 — a noticeably better return than its overall career average, and a sign that this is a horse that knows its level and competes well within it.

The most compelling subplot here is the partnership with Billy Loughnane, who is also the son of trainer Mark Loughnane. When Billy is in the saddle, the numbers are striking: 6 wins from 15 races together, meaning they win 2 in every 5 times out — well over double the horse's usual rate. That kind of chemistry between horse and rider is genuinely rare and suggests Billy has a feel for this particular animal that others haven't matched. Mark Loughnane's yard at Rock Farm in Worcestershire has sent out 25 winners this season, so this is a stable in decent form and clearly capable of placing their horses well.

That said, Follow Your Heart hasn't won in its last 6 races, with recent finishes of 4th, 6th, 4th, 19th, 11th, and 7th — no real near-misses in there, and a 19th-place finish suggests at least one difficult day at the office. The last win came at Wolverhampton in December 2025, now seven months ago. It's not a crisis, but the clock is ticking on a return to the winner's enclosure. Having raced just one day ago, the team clearly aren't short of enthusiasm — and with Billy Loughnane in the plate, the combination that has made this horse tick is always capable of turning things around quickly.

⚡ Strengths and risks

What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Course specialist at Kempton Park: 4 wins from 23 starts (17%)
✔ Course specialist at Wolverhampton: 5 wins from 17 starts (29%)
✔ Effective partnership with Billy Loughnane: 40% win rate together
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 5 starts

🎯 Where this horse runs best

Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Standard to slow (all-weather)
Standard (all-weather)
Good to firm (fairly firm)
Soft (muddy)
Unknown
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Good (a little give)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
7F – 1M
1M1F – 1M2F
Unknown
5F – 6½F
Avoids
🏅 Race level
Class 2 (high-level)
Avoids
Class 3 (mid-level)
Avoids
Class 4 (standard)
Class 5 (entry-level)
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Right-handed, long straights
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, tight
Unknown
Long straights
Unknown
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, hilly
Unknown

📅 Recent runs

The last 10 races, most recent first
14 Jul
7th
Ffos Las
7f – 1m · Good · 9 runners
14 Jun
11th
Doncaster
7f – 1m · Good · 12 runners
23 May
19th
York
7f – 1m · Good · 22 runners
13 Feb
4th
Wolverhampton
7f – 1m · Standard · 4 runners
4 Feb
6th
Kempton Park
7f – 1m · Standard_To_Slow · 10 runners
6 Jan
4th
Wolverhampton
7f – 1m · Standard · 8 runners
20 Dec
🏆 Won
Wolverhampton
7f – 1m · Standard · 12 runners
1 Dec
7th
Kempton Park
7f – 1m · Standard_To_Slow · 11 runners
5 Nov
13th
Kempton Park
7f – 1m · Standard_To_Slow · 14 runners
8 Oct
6th
Kempton Park
7f – 1m · Standard_To_Slow · 14 runners

🏇 Jockeys

Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
40%
Win rate
6/15
Wins / rides
10%
Win rate
1/10
Wins / rides
33.3%
Win rate
1/3
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/3
Wins / rides
50%
Win rate
1/2
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/2
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/2
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides

🏟 Course record

Win rate at each course this horse has visited
CourseRacesResultsLast runWin rate
Kempton Park
Galloping
23 4 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 15 other 4 Feb 17.4%
Wolverhampton
Galloping
17 5 wins, 4 seconds, 8 other 13 Feb 29.4%
Doncaster
Galloping
3 1 win, 2 other 14 Jun 33.3%
Southwell
Galloping
3 1 third, 2 other 9 Jan 0%
Haydock Park
Galloping
3 3 other 10 May 0%
Chester
Tight
2 2 other 26 Jul 0%
Lingfield Park
Sharp
2 2 other 22 Jan 0%
York
Galloping
2 2 other 23 May 0%
Leicester
Sharp
1 1 third 1 Apr 0%
Newbury
Galloping
1 1 third 24 Jun 0%
chelmsford 1 1 second 22 Nov 0%
Newcastle
Galloping
1 1 other 1 Nov 0%
Ffos Las
Galloping
1 1 other 14 Jul 0%
Pontefract
Undulating
1 1 second 4 Oct 0%