Ned Fox(3)

The numbers from the last 12 months are modest on the surface — 8 winners from 106 rides, roughly 1 in every 13 — but there are signs the season is turning. In the last two weeks alone he has won 1 from 7 rides, a 14% win rate that comfortably beats his seasonal average. That kind of uptick is exactly what a jockey in form looks like, and it is worth noting that last season he was winning closer to 1 in every 9 races, so the underlying talent is there.

One area where Fox genuinely stands out is on wet or muddy ground. He has won 5 of his 40 races in those conditions — 12% compared to his overall 8% — and that is not a coincidence. Some jockeys simply handle a rain-softened track better, reading the pace differently and placing their horse more carefully when the ground is testing. Fox appears to be one of them, and on a wet afternoon he is worth keeping a close eye on.

His most productive relationship in the saddle is with trainer Venetia Williams, a yard with a strong reputation for preparing horses for tough races. Three wins from 39 rides together may not sound explosive, but it represents a steady, trusted partnership — the kind where a trainer keeps putting you up because they believe in your judgement. By contrast, his three rides on Welcheston Warrier have yet to produce a win, though three races is too small a sample to read much into.

Fox carries a 3lb claim, meaning the horses he rides carry slightly less weight than they otherwise would — a genuine advantage that makes him an attractive booking for trainers. As that claim reduces with more winners, the real test will come. But with a Class 1 already on the board and his form trending upward, the next chapter looks more interesting than the last.