Ciaran O'Shea(7)

His most consistent working relationship is with trainer Sue Gardner, whose yard has given him 21 rides and 3 winners. A 14% win rate — about 1 win in every 7 rides — might not sound spectacular on paper, but in a sport where jockey-trainer partnerships are built slowly on trust and results, 21 rides in three years represents a real vote of confidence. Gardner clearly keeps coming back to him, and that loyalty tends to mean something.

One detail worth watching is how O'Shea performs when the weather turns ugly. On very wet and muddy ground he has won 1 from 3 races — a 33% win rate, or 1 in every 3. That is a small sample, but it hints at a jockey who is composed and effective when conditions get difficult, which is exactly when the less experienced riders tend to make mistakes. Wet ground changes everything — the pace, the footing, the way horses run — and handling it well is a skill in itself.

The "(7)" next to his name refers to his claim, a weight allowance given to apprentice jockeys that makes them attractive to trainers looking for a small edge. As he wins more races, that allowance will reduce and eventually disappear — and that is when the real test begins. Right now, O'Shea is using this window well. Eight winners from 42 rides at 19% is a solid season by any measure for a jockey still learning his trade. If the improvement continues at this rate, he will be a name worth knowing long after the claim is gone.