Matthew Lloyd Slater

The most striking figure in Slater's record is what happens when the ground is firm and dry. In those conditions, he has won 5 from 19 races — that is better than 1 in 4, a win rate that most established jockeys would be pleased with. It suggests he either rides with more confidence when the pace is quick, or that the horses he partners in those conditions simply suit him better. Either way, it is a pattern worth noticing.

His most important professional relationship is with trainer Tony Carroll, who has put him up 85 times — the vast majority of his total rides. Eight of his nine winners have come through that partnership, so Carroll is not just giving him opportunities, he is essentially the engine behind Slater's career so far. When a trainer keeps booking the same jockey at that volume, it usually means they trust what they see in the mornings as much as what happens on race day.

Windsor is where Slater looks most at home. Three winners from just five rides at that track is a remarkable return — 3 from 5 means he is winning more than half his races there, which is the kind of record that makes trainers pay attention when they have a runner entered at the course. Windsor has a distinctive, figure-of-eight layout that rewards riders who understand its rhythms, and Slater clearly does.

Nine winners in a season will not make headlines, but for a jockey still in his third year, what matters is whether the foundation is solid. The Carroll partnership gives him a reliable source of rides, the dry-ground numbers suggest real ability rather than luck, and Windsor hints at a track specialist in the making. The wider breakthrough has not come yet — but the building blocks are all there.