Mint Boy
Mint Boy is a seven-year-old with a tricky record: two wins and seven top-3 finishes from 15 races gives him a win rate of roughly 1 in every 8 starts, which puts him firmly in the category of a horse that shows promise without delivering it often enough. He last found the winning line at Fairyhouse on 13 January 2024, more than two years ago now, and has not finished in the top 3 since then. His recent form tells the story — across his last six runs he has managed just one top-3 finish, a third place, and the rest have been further back or blanks.Based on TrackLab's analysis
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🏁 Next race
Today
Limerick
About 3 miles · Slightly soft ground · 18 runners
→
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
The interesting part is what happens when jockey Keith Donoghue gets the ride. In seven races together, Donoghue has steered him to victory twice, a win rate of just over 29 percent — markedly better than Mint Boy's overall record. Both his wins have come on Irish tracks: Gowran Park on 30 September 2023 and then Fairyhouse nearly four months later. That suggests a real chemistry between horse and rider, or at least a sense that Mint Boy runs better for him, which is worth noting for anyone watching his return to action.
Speaking of which, Mint Boy has been off the track for 307 days — nearly a year. He is now in the care of Gavin Cromwell's Navan yard, which has been firing in winners this season with 94 already on the board, so at least he is in an operation with genuine form. Whether a long lay-off and almost three years without a win prove insurmountable or whether the break has freshened him up will become clear soon enough, but the Donoghue partnership is the form line that keeps Mint Boy interesting.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on heavy ground: 1 wins from 4 starts (25%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good_to_yielding ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
⚠ Returning from a 307-day absence
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Yielding (slightly soft)
Unknown
Yielding to soft (damp)
Unknown
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Soft to heavy (wet)
Unknown
Good (a little give)
Unknown
Good to yielding (mild give)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Race level
Class 2 (high-level)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Right-handed, long straights
Likes
Right-handed, tight
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
26 May
DNF
Ballinrobe
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 19 runners
21 Apr
14th
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft_To_Heavy · 32 runners
13 Mar
DNF
Cheltenham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 24 runners
20 Feb
3rd
Punchestown
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 8 runners
27 Dec
10th
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 14 runners
14 Dec
7th
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Yielding · 9 runners
27 Oct
3rd
Galway
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding_To_Soft · 12 runners
30 Mar
7th
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 13 runners
13 Jan
🏆 Won
Fairyhouse
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 10 runners
17 Dec
2nd
Thurles
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding · 11 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
Patrick M O'Brien Current jockey
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
5 |
1 win, 4 other |
21 Apr |
20% |
| Navan Galloping |
2 |
1 second, 1 third |
20 Mar |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
27 Oct |
0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 |
1 win |
30 Sep |
100% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
27 Dec |
0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
1 |
1 second |
17 Dec |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 |
1 third |
20 Feb |
0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
26 May |
0% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
13 Mar |
0% |