Billy Garritty

The partnership that defines his career so far is with the yard run by Michael and David Easterby, the father-and-son training operation based in Yorkshire. Garritty has ridden for them in 201 races and brought home 17 winners — about 1 in every 12 rides. That kind of long-running working relationship is the backbone of most jockeys' careers: a stable that trusts you enough to keep putting you up, week in, week out, is worth its weight in gold.

There are signs, though, of something more than just reliable volume. His record on very wet, muddy ground stands out — 1 winner from 7 races on those conditions might not sound dramatic, but that 14% return (roughly 1 in 7) is noticeably sharper than his overall average. Horses who handle a heavy, waterlogged track are a different breed, and a jockey who knows how to place them through deep ground is a useful person to have in your corner on a grey Tuesday in November.

His record at Thirsk, the compact North Yorkshire track, is also worth noting — 3 winners from 14 races there. That is just over 1 in every 5, more than double his season-wide average. Certain jockeys just seem to read a particular track well, and Thirsk may already be developing into that kind of happy hunting ground for Garritty.

Then there is Quercus Robur. Two wins from three races together is not a large sample, but a two-from-three record with any horse is the kind of thing that makes trainers notice. Some jockey-and-horse combinations just click — something in the way a rider settles a horse, or asks for its effort, seems to suit it perfectly. Whether that partnership continues to develop is one of the more interesting small questions around Garritty's season. At 179 career winners and still relatively early in his career, there is plenty of road still ahead.