Under The Radar: Jack Foley

There was never really a sweat.  There was never really a point in the six-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Saturday at which you thought that Midnight Dusk would not win.

Drawn in stall two with nobody in stall one, so he was effectively in stall one on the far side, and Billy Lee said that he would just go straight from there on Jack Foley’s horse.

Billy Lee has done that before, straight down the far side at The Curragh.  No point in complicating it.  No need.

“Billy rode him when he won at Fairyhouse,” says Jack now, “and he liked him.  He made all the running that day too.  We were hopeful going to The Curragh.  We felt that he was going there with a good chance.”

Two horses followed Midnight Dusk on the far side on Saturday, while the other 11 raced in a larger group towards the centre.  In a sense though, that was all largely irrelevant.  Donnchadh Doyle’s horse was doing his own thing, in front on the far side, and Billy Lee was just letting him do it. 

They had long since left the two-furlong marker well behind, and every other rider in the race was in the drive position, by the time Billy Lee felt the need to lower himself in the saddle and give his horse a squeeze.  When he did, the Havana Grey colt skipped away from his rivals, and he skipped further and further clear all the way to the winning line.  

He was splendidly isolated when he got there, and you rarely see that in a six-furlong handicap at The Curragh.  He won by over three lengths, and the four horses who chased him home all raced on the near side.  He was over six lengths clear of the next best of the far-side racers.

“It was a big performance all right,” says Jack.  “He got a 13lb rise from the handicapper, but we think he could be stakes class.  Billy was very positive about him afterwards too.  I think he’ll improve again.”

Midnight Dusk, who holds an entry in the July Sales at Newmarket next week, has been improving for a while now.  Sixth on his racecourse debut on soft ground at Cork in September for Gavin Cromwell, he won on his first run for Jack Foley at Dundalk just before Christmas.

“He did a couple of bits of work for me before he won at Dundalk, and we liked him.  He was still green at Dundalk, but he won nicely.”

He was Jack Foley’s second winner as a trainer.  His first was Liberation Date, who won her maiden at Dundalk a week earlier, just over four months after the young trainer had taken out his licence.

The eldest of five brothers, all accomplished riders, majoring in the world of showjumping, Jack started off in showjumping too.  He rode in local shows and hunter trials and he graduated to ride at the RDS, before being captivated by the world of horse racing.  He started out as an amateur, he spent two point-to-point seasons with Donnchadh Doyle, one of the top point-to-point handlers in the country.

“I learned so much during those two seasons,” he says.  “It was the best grounding that anybody could have had, and it really stood to me when I went professional.”

He burst onto the scene as a professional.  He rode 43 winners in the 2021/22 season, just his second season, he rode lots for Tom Mullins and he rode El Barra to win the big novices’ handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival that year for Willie Mullins.  He was crowned champion conditional jockey that season.  He rode winners for 23 different trainers that season.

Injuries intervened though and his claim reduced and he lost momentum.  It happens.  He had just 15 winners the following season and he struggled to build that momentum back up.  He always had it in his mind though that he would go training.  He joined Ger O’Neill’s Capital Stud, where his brother Jason worked on the sport horse side of things, and it was there that he met Donnchadh Doyle again.

“Donnchadh told me that he had a second yard, and that I could base myself there if I wanted,” says Jack.  “Donnchadh has been brilliant to me.  It’s a beautiful yard, great facilities.  Donnchadh gave me five horses to train, and we went from there.”

He had his first runners in August last year, and he had just nine runners before Liberation Date won that maiden at Dundalk in December.  Then Midnight Dusk won the following week.  That was two winners from just 12 runners in 2025.

This year, he sent out Ruler’s Control to win the first juveniles' race on the first day of the 2026 turf flat season at The Curragh in March.  The Territories colt joined Joseph O’Brien and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing afterwards, and ran a big race on his next run to finish fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot two weeks ago.

Incredible Army won at Dundalk in February, Liberation Date ran a big race to finish third in the nine-furlong premier handicap at The Curragh on Irish Derby day last Sunday. Momentum is building. 

“We’re very happy with how it’s all going,” says Jack.  “We have about 20 horses now, all two-year-olds and three-year-olds.  Donnchadh is great to train for, there’s never any pressure from him.  We’re looking forward to the rest of the season now.”

We were obviously delighted with his performance at The Curragh at the weekend.  He was raised to a mark of 94 by the handicapper, but we think that he’s still improving, we think that he could be a stakes horse.  The step up to six furlongs has been the making of him.

He made his debut in the 10-furlong maiden at The Curragh on Friday, and he ran a really nice race.  He finished sixth, but he wasn’t beaten far.  He’s a horse that we have always liked, and I think that he will take a nice step forward from that run.