His most established partnership is with trainer Gavin Cromwell, though even that relationship illustrates the grind of race riding at this level. Buckley has ridden 60 times for Cromwell and converted 4 of those into wins — again around 1 in 15. It is not a headline-grabbing number, but 60 rides for a single yard suggests a genuine working relationship, the kind that tends to grow over time rather than disappear.
Where Buckley does show a meaningful edge is on normal ground conditions. In standard going, he wins 8 from 58 races — roughly 1 in every 7. That is double his overall rate, and it is the sort of stat worth paying attention to. Whether it reflects the horses he rides in those conditions, a more confident style when the ground is fair, or simply where his opportunities cluster, it stands out clearly against the rest of his numbers.
At 4 years in and 71 winners to his name, Buckley is at the stage where patterns start to matter. The next few seasons will show whether that normal-ground form is a real strength to build on, or just a blip in a still-developing career. For now, he is a journeyman jockey putting in the miles and picking up winners when they come — which, in a competitive weighing room, is exactly how most careers are made.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punchestown | 24 | 2 | 8.3% |
| Downpatrick | 17 | 1 | 5.9% |
| Fairyhouse | 17 | 0 | 0% |
| Naas | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
| Kilbeggan | 13 | 1 | 7.7% |
| Limerick | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
| Sligo | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
| Gowran Park | 10 | 0 | 0% |
| Galway | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Cork | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Clonmel | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Leopardstown | 8 | 1 | 12.5% |
| Down Royal | 7 | 1 | 14.3% |
| Navan | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Roscommon | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| Tramore | 5 | 1 | 20% |
| Wexford | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Thurles | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Listowel | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| Ballinrobe | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| Bellewstown | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Tipperary | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Killarney | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Cheltenham | 1 | 0 | 0% |