Malbay Madness

Trained by Dermot McLoughlin out of Bodeen in County Meath, Malbay Madness has been sharp lately. In its last six races, it has found the winner's circle three times—including a win this week at Downpatrick on August 9th—and managed two other placed finishes. That translates to a recent form line that reads like a genuinely in-form horse, not one running around hoping. The jockey P J O'Hanlon has ridden it 10 times and won 3 of those, a partnership that works well enough to justify keeping it. Where the horse really shows its preferences is in its ground and distance: on slightly soft or muddy ground it has won 2 of 6 races (33%), and over the longer distances between 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles, it has won 2 of 3 races—a remarkable 67%. Put those details together and Malbay Madness is a horse that likes a proper test: soft underfoot, a proper marathon distance, and ideally Kilbeggan. Those are the conditions when this one shines.