Bryan Smart

What makes Smart particularly interesting right now is his recent form. Over the last two weeks alone, he has produced 2 winners from just 9 runners — a win rate of around 1 in 4, more than double his season average. In training, that kind of short-term surge often signals that the yard is in a purple patch, with horses hitting form at the right time. It is the sort of thing shrewd followers of the sport pay close attention to.

Thirsk appears to be something of a happy hunting ground for Smart. Four winners from 18 runners at the same track is the kind of record that is hard to achieve by accident. It suggests he knows how to get horses ready to perform there specifically — whether that comes down to track knowledge, timing, or simply having horses that suit the course. Either way, 4 from 18 is a win rate of roughly 1 in every 4 and a half, far ahead of his overall average.

His most notable horse partnership is with Station X, who has won 3 of their 17 races together — a dependable combination by any measure. His busiest relationship with a jockey is with Harrison Shaw, though that particular pairing has produced 3 wins from 55 rides, or roughly 1 in every 18. That is below Smart's overall average, which suggests Shaw may be taking on some of the yard's trickier assignments rather than simply being handed the most likely winners.

Smart is a trainer worth following closely. He is four years in, 90 winners deep, and currently sending out horses in noticeably sharp form. The slight softening in his overall win rate this season gives him something to improve on, but the recent two-week burst suggests the yard is far from standing still.