Francis Casey

The most interesting thread running through Casey's record is what happens when the rain arrives. On wet, muddy ground, his horses have won 3 from just 5 races — that is 60%, or 3 in every 5 runners. For context, most trainers would be delighted with 1 in 5 in any conditions. That kind of number suggests Casey understands exactly how to prepare a horse for testing ground, whether that means how they're trained, how they're fed, or simply knowing which horses to run and when. It is not luck at 3 from 5 — it is a pattern.

Then there is Rock Ya Boy Ya. The pair have raced together 24 times, producing 3 wins — a modest fraction on paper, but 24 races is a long relationship, and the fact that Casey has kept coming back to this horse, and kept finding ways to win with it, says something about the patience and loyalty that define smaller training operations. Big yards cycle through horses quickly. Casey clearly believes in the ones he has.

Four years in, 3 winners from 15 runners this season, and a genuine edge in wet conditions — Francis Casey is a trainer worth watching, particularly when the forecast looks grim.