Philip Armson(3)

The "(3)" beside his name is worth explaining for newcomers: it means he claims a 3lb weight allowance, a small but meaningful advantage given to less experienced jockeys to help level the playing field against the big names. Think of it as a head start that his trainer and yard partners are increasingly happy to use.

His most regular association is with trainer Alan King, one of the more respected yards in British racing — though it has to be said, 2 wins from 24 rides together (roughly 1 in 12) suggests there is still room to grow in that partnership. More eye-catching is his record at Plumpton, a tight, twisting track in East Sussex that suits a jockey who knows how to settle a horse and pick the right moment. Three winners from just 6 rides there — half his mounts — is a remarkable return, and the kind of course form that owners and trainers notice when they are picking a jockey. His partnership with the horse Annie Hathaway has produced 1 win from 5 races together, a modest but ongoing relationship that suggests a degree of trust from the team around that horse.

At 56 career winners and still climbing, Armson is at the stage where a promising season can shift a career up a gear. If the Plumpton form continues and the overall win rate holds near 1 in 10, this could be the year he starts converting from a useful conditional into a genuinely established name.