Miss Olive Nicholls(5)

Over the last twelve months she has ridden 55 times and won on 7 of those occasions — roughly 1 in every 8 rides. That might not sound like a lot, but in a sport where most jockeys are grateful for one winner a week, converting at that rate across a full season shows she is being given opportunities and making them count.

The most telling detail in her record is the partnership with trainer Paul Nicholls. She has won 5 times from 33 rides for his yard — around 1 in every 6 and a fraction better than her overall average. Nicholls is one of the most decorated trainers in Britain, and the fact that he keeps putting her up speaks for itself. Trainers at that level do not hand out rides out of loyalty — they use jockeys they trust to do a job.

The "(5)" after her name is worth explaining for anyone unfamiliar with how racing works. It means she currently claims a 5-pound weight allowance, a small advantage given to less experienced riders to help level the playing field against seasoned professionals. As she racks up more winners, that allowance will reduce and eventually disappear — the racing world's way of saying you have graduated. With 23 career winners already, she is making steady progress toward exactly that moment.