Oliver Carmichael(3)

The most interesting thread in his recent record is the partnership he has built with trainer Eve Johnson Houghton. Of his 38 rides for the yard, 4 have resulted in wins — a win rate of around 11%, or just over 1 in 9. That is noticeably better than his overall average, which suggests the two have developed a real working understanding. When a young jockey finds a trainer who keeps putting them up and gets results in return, that kind of relationship can define a career in its early stages.

One thing that stands out in his numbers is how he performs on normal ground conditions. In those circumstances he has won 3 races from 21 — that is 14%, or almost 1 in 7. That is nearly double his overall average, and it points to a jockey who is at his most effective when conditions are straightforward rather than testing. Worth keeping in mind when scanning the racecard on a dry day.

The one note of caution is a slight dip in form. Last year he was winning at around 12% — 1 in every 8 or 9 rides — and that figure has slipped to 8% this season. A drop like that is not a crisis for someone two years into their career, but it does suggest the step up in competition is being felt. The question heading into the next phase of his career is whether he can reverse that trend, particularly by deepening the partnerships — with Johnson Houghton and others — that have produced his best results so far.