Danny Gilligan

The season as a whole tells a slightly mixed story. Gilligan has ridden 40 winners from 422 races — roughly 1 in every 11 — which is down from the 1 in 8 he was managing last year. That dip is worth noting, but it needs context: the last two weeks suggest the lean spell may already be over. He's just posted 4 winners from 18 rides, a win rate of 22% — more than double his season average. When a jockey whose numbers have been quietly slipping suddenly catches fire like that, it tends to mean something.

One area where Gilligan has never needed a hot streak to look good is soft, wet, and muddy ground. On days when the rain has soaked into the turf and lesser jockeys are looking for excuses, he has won 8 races from 44 — roughly 1 in every 5.5, or about 18%. That's a significant edge. Riding in truly difficult conditions is a skill in itself: it requires feel, patience, and strength, and his record suggests he has all three.

His relationship with trainer Gordon Elliott has been central to his career. From 169 races together, they've produced 19 winners — winning at a rate of about 1 in every 9, slightly ahead of Gilligan's overall average. That kind of long-running partnership matters in this sport. It means Elliott trusts him on important horses, and Gilligan knows how Elliott's string is trained and prepared. Speaking of important horses: his four races alongside Wodhooh have produced three wins, a connection that borders on the remarkable. Three wins from four outings with the same horse is about as close to a sure thing as racing gets.

Still only four years in, with Class 1 winners already on his record and a sharp return to form right now, Gilligan looks like a jockey whose best years are comfortably ahead of him.