Anthony McCann

What does stand out is the last two weeks. McCann has sent out 2 winners from just 5 runners — a 40% return that puts his season average firmly in the shade. Two weeks is too short a window to call it a trend, but it suggests the yard may be hitting a purple patch, and it's exactly the kind of form that makes a trainer worth paying attention to right now.

One area where McCann shows a genuine edge is on wet or muddy ground, where his horses have won 2 from 22 races — a 9% win rate that meaningfully outperforms his overall seasonal figure. That's not a coincidence; it points to a trainer who either targets soft ground deliberately or simply has horses that handle it well. When the weather turns and the ground gets testing, McCann's runners are worth a second look.

His most regular partnership with jockey Eoghan Finegan has produced 1 win from 21 rides together, which amounts to less than 1 in 20 — thin pickings for a combination that clearly gets plenty of opportunities. That said, frequency of partnership often reflects trust and familiarity as much as results, and it's possible the pair are working through a run of tough assignments. The pairing with Answer That, meanwhile, has yet to get off the mark in 3 races — a small side note, but a reminder that not every partnership clicks.

McCann is still a relatively young trainer in career terms, and 41 winners in four years is a foundation rather than a ceiling. The recent burst of form is the headline for now — when a yard that wins 1 in every 19 suddenly wins 2 from 5, something has changed, even if only briefly. Whether that momentum carries is the interesting question.