A J Martin

The highlight of the career so far came on 16 March 2023, when Martin won a top-level race at Cheltenham — the sport's most famous venue and the one place every trainer in the jumping game wants to get it right. There is only one Class 1 win on the record so far, but one is all it takes to show you belong at that level.

One pattern worth watching is how Martin's horses perform on wet or muddy ground. Three wins from 30 races in those conditions gives a win rate of 10% — meaningfully better than the overall seasonal average of 6%. That suggests the yard knows how to prepare a horse for a testing day, which in a British winter is no small skill.

The most regular jockey partnership is with Daniel King, who has ridden 50 times for Martin and converted 3 of those into winners — the same 6% win rate as the yard's overall average, so a steady rather than spectacular alliance. More eye-catching is the combination with Aurea Fortuna, a horse Martin has trained to 2 wins from 14 races together. That might not sound like a lot, but a horse that wins 2 in every 14 is earning its keep, and repeat wins with the same horse suggest a trainer who genuinely understands what makes it tick.

The most encouraging sign right now is the recent form. Over the last two weeks, Martin has sent out 5 runners and returned 1 winner — a 20% win rate that is more than three times the seasonal average. It is a small sample, but it suggests the yard is hitting form at the right time. The overall win rate has dipped slightly, from 8% last season to 6% this time around, so a spell like this will be welcome. Four years in, Martin still looks like a trainer building towards something.