Tony Coyle & Kaine Wood

This season, however, has been tougher going. They have sent out 147 runners and won with 12 of them — roughly 1 in every 12 races — which works out at around 8%. That is a step back from last year, when they were winning at 13%, closer to 1 in every 8. It is worth keeping things in perspective: a dip in win rate does not necessarily mean the horses have got worse or the training has slipped — it can simply reflect running horses in stronger company, or having a slightly unlucky spell. But it is a number the yard will want to improve.

One relationship that clearly works is with jockey David Nolan. Of those 147 runners this season, Nolan has ridden 70 of them — nearly half — and has converted 7 into winners. That is a 10% win rate, or roughly 1 win in every 10 rides, which sits comfortably above the yard's overall average. When a trainer keeps putting the same jockey up, it usually means there is genuine trust and communication between them, and that tends to show in results.

Perhaps the most intriguing detail about Coyle and Wood is how their horses perform on wet or muddy ground. From 20 races in those conditions, they have won 3 — a 15% win rate, or 1 in every 7. That is meaningfully better than their overall figures, and it hints at something deliberate: whether it is the type of horses they target, the way they train them, or simply an eye for spotting when the ground suits. Whatever the reason, when the weather turns and the going gets soft, this is a yard worth paying closer attention to.