Folsom Blues

The real story, though, is recent form. Folsom Blues won just three days ago at The Curragh, and before that it had won one of its previous four races as well. Over the past month, the horse has shown exactly the kind of upward trajectory that catches the eye of serious observers. The colt appears to have found its ideal distance too, winning two of its three races over seven furlongs to a mile — a 67 per cent win rate at that trip. At shorter distances it has struggled to bring home the same results, which tells you the horse has room to settle into longer races as it matures.

Joseph Patrick O'Brien, who trains Folsom Blues at Owning Hill in County Kilkerry, is operating at another level entirely this season. His yard has already sent out 160 winners in 2026, meaning he is one of the top training operations in the country. That context matters: Folsom Blues is not just winning races, it is winning them as part of one of the most successful yards in Britain and Ireland right now. The colt won its maiden at Gowran Park in June and has improved noticeably since, suggesting there is real scope for further progression. For a horse this young and this lightly raced, the ceiling could be considerably higher.