Jane Walton

The one puzzle in the data is her long-running partnership with Fairly Fulling, a horse she has sent out 11 times without a win. Eleven races together and still waiting — that kind of patience is either admirable or maddening depending on your temperament, and it raises the question of what she sees in that horse that keeps her coming back. Sometimes a trainer backs their judgment long after the results have stopped agreeing with them. Whether that faith is eventually rewarded will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow as her career develops.

What makes Walton's story worth watching is the trajectory. Going from 0% to 16% in a single season is not a small thing — it suggests a trainer who has learned quickly and applied those lessons. The winners are coming, the numbers are moving in the right direction, and she is still only four years in. The next 12 months will tell us a great deal about whether this is a genuine breakthrough or simply a good run of form.