Folly Master

The partnership with jockey Keith Donoghue is equally striking. In the 7 races they have ridden together, Donoghue has steered Folly Master to 3 wins — a win rate of 43%, or nearly 3 in every 7. To put that in perspective, a top trainer winning 1 in 4 is considered excellent. Two individuals who clearly bring something out of each other, Folly Master and Donoghue look a different proposition when they are paired up.

The recent form makes for compelling reading. Going back through his last six races, the sequence reads 4-2-2-2-1-2 — which means his only win in that run came sandwiched between a string of placed efforts. He has not won since Punchestown on New Year's Eve 2024, which is now 15 months ago, but he has barely been out of the first three. Finishing second four times in his last six outings is the mark of a horse who is consistently competitive — honest, reliable, showing up. The frustrating side of that record is obvious too: he keeps getting beaten. But those placed finishes are at least telling you he belongs in the races he is being entered for.

With his career earnings sitting at £74,000, Folly Master is operating at a solid, mid-tier level — not a superstar, but a thoroughly respectable racehorse who earns his keep. He raced just 22 days ago and is still very much active. The question now is whether the yard can get him back to Punchestown with Donoghue in the saddle, because that combination at that track has produced results at a remarkable rate. If those stars align, Folly Master has a habit of making things happen.