Harry Russell

The last 12 months tell a tougher story, though. Seven winners from 172 rides means he has been winning roughly 1 in every 25 races this season — around 4% — which is a lean return and suggests he is working through a difficult spell. Volume of rides is rarely a problem; converting them is the challenge right now.

His most consistent working relationship is with trainer Ollie Pears, but even that partnership underlines the struggle: just 1 win from 52 rides together is a win rate of about 1 in 52, or 2%, which is well below what either side would hope for. When a jockey and trainer combine that frequently without results clicking into place, it usually speaks to the quality of horses available rather than any lack of effort — but the numbers are hard to ignore.

One area where Russell does stand out is on wet ground. When the ground is soft or muddy, he has won 1 race from 9 — roughly 1 in 9, or 11% — which is notably better than his overall figures and nearly three times his season average. That suggests he rides with more confidence and composure when conditions get testing, which is a genuinely useful skill. Trainers looking for a rider who handles wet ground well have a real reason to call him. His partnership with Norcross Brow has not produced a win across three races together, which is one to watch — sometimes a combination just needs time to click, but three runs without a result means that pairing is still searching for its moment.

At 69 career winners in four years, Russell is clearly not a passenger in the weighing room. The current lean run is the kind every jockey faces at some point, and the wet-ground numbers hint that there is more to come when conditions — and perhaps horses — fall his way.