Michael Kenneally(5)

His most reliable partnership is with trainer John Patrick Ryan, where that same 1-in-10 ratio holds steady across 60 rides together, producing 6 winners. That consistency matters. A jockey who performs at the same level for a trainer across a large number of rides is one that yard will keep calling — it signals trust built over time, not a lucky run.

Where Kenneally really starts to stand out, though, is when the ground gets wet. On soft or muddy going, his win rate doubles: 4 winners from just 20 races, meaning he wins 1 in every 5 on testing ground. That is a significant edge. Riding in those conditions requires a different kind of judgment — pacing a horse through heavy ground, conserving energy, picking the right moment — and the numbers suggest he reads it well.

Fairyhouse tells a similar story. Four winners from 14 races at the track is a return that any jockey would be pleased with, and for someone only two years in, it hints at a course he has already figured out. Tracks have their own quirks — the camber of a bend, the way the ground drains, where to be in a field at the top of the straight — and jockeys who crack that code early tend to keep winning there.

At 28 winners in a single season with only two years of experience behind him, Kenneally is building the kind of profile that gets noticed. He is not yet a household name, but jockeys who win consistently, handle big-field tracks, and thrive when conditions get difficult have a habit of becoming one.