Rory Mulligan(5)

The most encouraging thread running through his record is his partnership with trainer J P Murtagh. From 28 rides together they have produced 3 winners — a win rate of around 11%, more than double his overall season average. That kind of number matters because it suggests the yard trusts him with their horses and that the combination works. When a trainer keeps putting you on their horses, it usually means something, and Mulligan has clearly made a good impression there.

There is also something interesting in how he performs when the ground gets soft and wet underfoot. In those conditions he has won 3 races from 21 — roughly 1 in 7 — which is a meaningfully better return than his overall figures suggest. Some jockeys just have a feel for riding on testing ground, adjusting their timing and how hard they ask a horse to work through the mud. It is too early to call it a specialism, but it is a pattern worth noting.

At 5 pounds, Mulligan still carries a claim — meaning horses he rides carry less weight than they otherwise would, which makes him an attractive option for trainers looking for an edge. He has 34 career winners to his name in three seasons, which is a steady rather than explosive start. The season average has softened, but the building blocks are there: a productive stable partnership, a ground preference that could be exploited, and still plenty of racing ahead of him.