Lewis Saunders(5)

The most interesting thread in his career so far is his partnership with trainer Olly Murphy. Of his 53 rides for the yard, 9 have won — that's a win rate of 17%, or roughly 1 in every 6, which is noticeably better than his overall average. When Murphy puts Saunders up, it tends to mean something. That kind of trust between a young jockey and an established trainer is genuinely valuable — it means regular rides, and regular rides mean experience.

There is one condition where Saunders really catches the eye: when the ground is wet and soft underfoot. In 21 races on that kind of surface, he has won 6 times — a win rate of 29%, or nearly 1 in every 3. That is a striking number. Whether it reflects a particular style in the saddle, the types of horses he gets put on in those conditions, or simply a good run of form, it is the kind of stat that makes a trainer pick up the phone on a rainy morning.

The one note of caution is that his win rate has dipped this season. Last year he was winning 22% of his races — closer to 1 in every 4 or 5 — and that figure has dropped to 12% this time around. That kind of dip is not unusual for a young jockey; the early years of a career can be uneven, and one slow season does not define a trajectory. But it is a number worth watching. The real question for Saunders over the next year or two is whether he can push his overall numbers back up and start converting his Murphy alliance into even bigger opportunities. At 27 career winners in four years, the foundation is there.