Mr J L Gleeson

This season tells the story clearly: 24 winners from 112 rides. For context, 112 rides is a serious workload, and converting at that rate means trainers are trusting him with horses they expect to win, not just filling a saddle. The headline moment of his career so far came at Cheltenham — the sport's most famous stage — where he landed a top-level race, the kind of result that gets people in the weighing room taking notice. One winner at Cheltenham can do more for a reputation than twenty elsewhere.

His most reliable partnership is with trainer Emmet Mullins, where he has won 4 times from 22 rides together — roughly 1 in every 5 and a healthy return that suggests genuine two-way trust. When a trainer keeps putting the same jockey up, it usually means they like what they see in the mornings as much as on racedays. At Wexford, Gleeson has been particularly sharp, winning 3 from just 7 rides there — nearly 1 in every 2, which is a remarkable return at any track and hints at a jockey who may simply know the place well.

Seventy-seven winners in four years with an improving win rate, a big-race scalp at Cheltenham, and a clear course to keep developing — Gleeson is at the stage of his career where things start to compound. More winners bring better rides, better rides bring more winners. Worth watching closely.