Malbay Madness

The six-year-old has built a solid if unspectacular career overall — 4 wins and 12 placed finishes from 28 races, which works out at roughly 1 win in every 7 trips to the track. That said, the recent form tells a more interesting story. Malbay Madness has won 2 of its last 6 races, and its last two results before a pair of mid-table finishes were back-to-back victories. That kind of momentum matters. The most recent win came at Kilbeggan on 16 May 2025, just eleven months ago, so this is a horse still performing at a reasonable level.

The partnership with jockey P J O'Hanlon is worth noting. Together they have won 2 of their 8 races — that is 25%, or roughly 1 in every 4 rides together — which is a noticeably better return than the horse's overall career average. When O'Hanlon is in the saddle, something clicks. Malbay Madness also has a clear preference for a particular trip: at a distance of around a mile and a furlong to a mile and two furlongs, the record reads 2 wins from 8 races — that same 25% figure again. Get the horse to the right track at the right distance with the right jockey, and the trainer Dermot McLoughlin has a ready-made chance.

McLoughlin operates out of Bodeen in Ratoath, County Meath, and has sent out 10 winners already this season, so the yard is clearly in decent form. Malbay Madness raced just yesterday, meaning it is bang in the middle of a campaign. The first career win came at Killarney back in August 2022, and three more victories have followed since. This is not a horse chasing glory at the biggest festivals, but it is a consistent, live contender when the conditions line up — and at Kilbeggan especially, it has a habit of delivering.