Julia & Shelley Birkett

Their current season tells a similar story: 15 winners from 145 runners, which works out at roughly 1 in every 10 races. That might sound modest, but for a yard still in its first year, simply getting horses to the track consistently and winning at that rate is no small thing. Training is an industry where it can take years to develop the contacts, the horses, and the routine that produce winners — the Birketts appear to be skipping that awkward early phase.

Their strongest working relationship is with jockey Dylan Hogan, and the numbers there are genuinely eye-catching. Together they have produced 11 wins from 82 rides — that is just over 1 in every 7, or a win rate of 13%. When a trainer and jockey click like this, it usually means something real: shared communication, mutual trust, and a jockey who understands how this yard's horses need to be ridden. Hogan is clearly central to how this operation functions.

One area where the Birketts stand out is on fast, dry ground. In those conditions they have won 5 races from just 28 runners — a win rate of 18%, or almost 1 in every 5. That is nearly double their overall rate and suggests they may have horses in their care that are built to travel and quicken on a quicker surface. When the sun is out and the ground dries up, it is worth paying attention to what this yard runs.

Their standout partnership with Beachborough Girl — one win from four races together — is worth watching develop. Four runs is a small sample, but any horse a new yard keeps returning to is usually one they believe in. Whether Beachborough Girl becomes a flagship for the operation remains to be seen, but for a training partnership barely twelve months old, having horses they are willing to back repeatedly is itself a sign of confidence. The Birketts are still writing their story, but the opening chapter has been more than promising.