Alan Persse

The most telling number in Persse's recent record is his performance on wet or muddy ground: 1 winner from just 4 rides in those conditions, which works out to 25% — winning 1 in every 4. For context, that would be a remarkable figure for almost any jockey. It suggests he is comfortable when races get messy and the pace becomes unpredictable, which is a genuinely useful skill to have in Irish racing, where the ground can turn soft without much warning.

His best results have come alongside a horse called Key Witness, with whom he's won 2 of their 3 races together. That kind of record with a single partner isn't just luck — it suggests a real understanding between rider and horse, the sort of thing that tends to develop when a jockey is given time and trust rather than swapped in and out. His most regular working relationship is with trainer Patrick J Flynn's yard, where he has ridden 18 times and converted 2 of those into wins — roughly 1 in every 9, an 11% win rate that actually sits comfortably above his overall average.

Persse is still in the early chapters of what could become an interesting story. The improvements are modest but consistent, and in a sport where plenty of young riders plateau or disappear, the fact that he is posting his first winners and showing genuine strengths in specific conditions is a foundation worth building on.