M M Lynch

The most telling detail in Lynch's record is his long-running partnership with Leabaland. Together they have contested 27 races and managed just 1 win — a ratio that speaks to a horse and trainer pairing grinding away at the edges of the sport rather than troubling the headlines. That said, keeping a horse in training and turning up week after week takes real commitment, and there is something to be said for the persistence it requires.

With zero winners from 13 runners so far this season, Lynch's yard faces an uphill task. Small operations often run on tight margins and thinner patience, and the numbers right now make for uncomfortable reading. The hope, as with any trainer still in the early part of their career, is that one decent horse changes everything.