Tom McGuinness

The most striking number in his record is the partnership with Plastic Paddy: 13 races together and not a single win. Thirteen attempts is a long run without reward, and at some point that becomes a question worth asking — whether the combination simply hasn't found the right race, or whether the horse needs a change of approach. It's the kind of stat that keeps a trainer up at night.

His most regular jockey is Jack Cleary, who has been aboard 21 times for the yard and produced 1 winner — roughly 1 in every 21 rides. That's a modest return, but loyalty in these smaller operations counts for something, and a settled partnership at least means trainer and jockey are learning the horses together. Whether Cleary is the man to turn things around remains to be seen. Four years in, McGuinness is still searching for the run of form that would signal his yard has genuinely found its feet.