Setting the Scene: A September Listed Treat at Folkestone
Right, pull up a stool and let me tell you about Wednesday's card at Folkestone, because the 15:15 is one worth getting properly excited about. The Virgin Bet Foundation Stakes — a Listed race worth £70,000 — is one of those mid-week gems that the casual punter scrolls past and the serious student of the game circles in red ink. Six runners, a mile and nearly two furlongs on Good ground, and a field that has more intrigue packed into it than a Cheltenham Festival novice hurdle. Now I know, I know — this is the flat, and I'm a jumps man at heart. But good racing is good racing, and there's proper money and proper reputations on the line here. Let's get stuck in.
Check the full Folkestone racecard for all the details, but for now, let me walk you through what I make of each of these six contestants.
Contender-by-Contender Breakdown
1. Boiling Point (K. R. Burke / Sam James) — Rating 111, 9-7
Here's your market leader, and fair enough — on paper, Boiling Point is the class act in this field. A five-year-old colt rated 111, he carries top weight of 9-7 and arrives with the most compelling set of form flags in the race: course winner and distance winner. Karl Burke is a trainer who knows exactly what he's doing when he pitches a horse into a race like this, and he doesn't travel to Folkestone for the fresh air. Sam James takes the ride, and he's a jockey who's grown enormously in confidence and ability — he won't be fazed by the occasion. The concern? He's drawn widest of all in stall 6 on a track where the draw can matter, and that 9-7 burden is a real ask in a field where several rivals carry 9-4. Still, if he's right, he's the one they all have to beat.
2. Lion's Pride (John & Thady Gosden / William Buick) — Rating 109, 9-4
Now we're talking. A six-year-old gelding from the Gosden yard — and when John and Thady send one out with William Buick in the saddle, you sit up and take notice. Buick is simply one of the finest flat jockeys in the world, and he has an almost supernatural ability to find a rhythm on a horse and produce them at exactly the right moment. Lion's Pride is rated 109 and gets in on 9-4, which is a fair weight for a horse of his ability. No specific course or distance form flags are listed, which is a mild concern over this trip at this track — but the Gosden operation doesn't make mistakes about suitability. Draw 3 is workable. My gut says he runs a massive race.
3. Naqeeb (Julie Camacho / Ryan Sexton) — Rating 109, 9-4
Don't sleep on this one. Naqeeb is a course and distance winner — same as Boiling Point — and that form flag matters enormously on a track like Folkestone, which has its quirks. Julie Camacho is a trainer who absolutely maximises her horses, and she's been quietly building a very tidy operation. Ryan Sexton gets the leg up, and while he may not carry the same marquee name as Buick or Murphy, he's a sharp jockey who rides with his head. Stall 1 is the draw to have if the rail is where you want to be, and on Good ground over this trip, I'd argue it's an advantage. Naqeeb at 109 with proven course and distance form? He's the value play in this field, and I'll tell you more about that shortly.
4. Respond (Andrew Balding / Oisin Murphy) — Rating 105, 9-4
Andrew Balding sending one out with Oisin Murphy on board is never a combination to dismiss. Respond is a four-year-old gelding rated 105 — lowest of the serious contenders — but he's a distance winner, so the trip doesn't hold any fears. The question is whether a 105-rated horse can take on a field with two 109s and a 111. Murphy is brilliant at getting the best out of horses on their merits, and Balding has a knack for placing horses perfectly. Drawn in stall 2, he gets a lovely position just off the rail. Could outrun his rating if everything clicks, but he needs the principals to underperform.
5. Treble Tee (Simon & Ed Crisford / James Doyle) — Rating 106, 9-4
Treble Tee is the one wearing the tongue tie, which tells you the Crisfords have had to do a bit of work to get the best out of this four-year-old gelding. James Doyle is a classy jockey who rarely gets on a horse without a real chance, and the Crisford yard is a polished operation. Rated 106 and drawn in stall 5, he sits between Boiling Point and the rest of the field. No specific course or distance form flags, and the headgear is always a flag worth noting — either it's the key to unlocking something special, or it's a sign the horse has been a touch awkward. I'd want to see him prove himself over this trip before getting too carried away.
6. Quisana (Eve Johnson Houghton / Saffie Osborne) — Rating 76, 8-8
Look, I'll be honest with you — Quisana is a three-year-old filly rated 76 in an open-rated Listed race. She's here for experience, almost certainly, and Eve Johnson Houghton is a smart enough trainer to know that. Saffie Osborne is a talented young rider and she'll give her every chance, but a 35-point rating gap to the top of the market is a mountain too steep. Lovely experience for a filly with a future, no doubt. Not for us today.
Going, Draw, and Conditions
The going is described as Good (GoingStick reading: 41), which is a lovely surface for horses with a bit of class and a proper cruising speed. It's not soft enough to play into the hands of a grinding stayer, and it's not quick enough to favour a pure speedball. Over one mile, one furlong and 197 yards, you want a horse that can travel comfortably through a race and quicken — and that suits the profile of both Boiling Point and Naqeeb.
The draw is worth a mention. In a six-runner field, it's not the lottery it might be in a big handicap, but stall 1 (Naqeeb) and stall 2 (Respond) are on the inside, which on Good ground at Folkestone is no bad thing at all. Boiling Point in stall 6 has to do a little more work to get into a good position, which is a genuine consideration when he's already carrying the most weight.
Value Picks and Potential Dangers
The danger to the market leader is Lion's Pride, without question. Buick + Gosden is a combination that wins Listed races for fun, and a horse rated 109 on a fair weight is always dangerous. If Lion's Pride has been produced fresh and well for this, he could make Boiling Point work very hard indeed.
But my value pick is Naqeeb. Course and distance winner, drawn on the inside rail, trained by a handler who targets races with precision, and ridden by a jockey who knows how to deliver a horse at the right moment. In a small field on Good ground, proven form at the track and trip is worth its weight in gold. He's 109-rated, so he's not giving away much to the favourite, and I'd expect him to be available at a price that makes the each-way option very tasty indeed.
Tom's Verdict: My Selection
NAQEEB — Each Way
I'm going against the favourite here, and I'll tell you why without blinking. Boiling Point is the class horse in the field, but he's carrying top weight, drawn widest, and has to prove he's in the same form that earned those course and distance wins. Naqeeb ticks every box I care about: proven at the track, proven at the trip, inside draw, shrewd trainer, and a jockey who rides with purpose. In a race of six, on Good ground, with no obvious pace scenario to worry about, I think Naqeeb is the each-way bet that pays for your afternoon. Lion's Pride for a saver if you're feeling flush — Buick always has a say.
Good luck, and may your selections run true. See you on the other side.
Who Is the Favourite for the Virgin Bet Foundation Stakes 2026?
Boiling Point is expected to head the market as the top-rated runner in the field at 111, trained by K. R. Burke and ridden by Sam James. He's a proven course and distance winner, which gives him strong credentials, though he does carry top weight of 9-7 and is drawn widest of all in stall 6. He'll likely be a short price, but the market doesn't always tell the full story in small-field Listed races like this one.
Does the Draw Matter at Folkestone Over This Distance?
In a six-runner field, the draw is less of a decisive factor than it would be in a big handicap, but it's not irrelevant. Over one mile and nearly two furlongs at Folkestone, horses drawn on the inside (stalls 1 and 2) have a natural advantage in terms of covering less ground and getting a clean run on the rail. Naqeeb in stall 1 and Respond in stall 2 benefit from this, while Boiling Point in stall 6 has the widest draw in the field — a minor but genuine consideration.
Is Naqeeb Worth Backing Each Way in the Virgin Bet Foundation Stakes?
In my view, yes. Naqeeb is a proven course and distance winner, trained by the shrewd Julie Camacho and drawn on the inside rail in stall 1. Rated 109, he's only 2lb behind the top-rated Boiling Point on a fair weight of 9-4. In a field of just six on Good ground, the each-way terms will likely be place 1-2, and a horse with this profile — track form, trip form, favourable draw — is exactly the type you want to be on at a likely double-figure price. He's my selection for the 15:15 at Folkestone.
