Jack G Gilligan

The bulk of his riding has come through a close partnership with trainer Paul John Gilligan — 81 of his 100 rides this season have come from that yard, suggesting a tight working relationship, almost certainly a family one given the shared surname. That loyalty and consistency of opportunity matters for a young jockey still learning the craft, even if the results have not yet clicked into place.

The one bright spot in the data is what happens when the ground turns wet and muddy. On very soft or heavy ground, Gilligan has won 1 from 9 races — around 1 in every 9 — which is a win rate of 11%. That is a striking contrast to his overall figures and suggests he either rides with more confidence in those conditions, or that the horses he partners simply suit the mud. Either way, it is a thread worth pulling. If the rain comes down and his name is on the card, that is when he becomes genuinely interesting to watch.

At just four years into his career, there is plenty of time for the numbers to recover. Every jockey goes through lean spells, and the ones who come out the other side are usually those with a stable base of rides and something specific to build on. Gilligan has both.