The numbers back that up. Longsdon has trained 167 career winners in four years, and this season he has 33 winners from 233 runners — that's roughly 1 in every 7, a win rate of 14%. That might not sound dramatic until you compare it to last year's 11%. Improving your win rate by three percentage points across a full season is a sign that processes are tightening, horses are improving, and the operation is maturing.
There are clear patterns in where and how he wins. At Sedgefield, a tight, turning track in County Durham, he has an almost absurd record: 4 winners from just 8 runners. That's half his horses winning there, which suggests either that he knows exactly which horses suit that course or that he simply doesn't bother sending horses there unless they have a genuine chance — probably both. He also performs particularly well on fast, dry ground, winning 2 from 7 races in those conditions — a 29% rate that puts him well ahead of his general average.
The partnership that makes his operation tick is with jockey Lilly Pinchin. Together they have produced 10 winners from 59 rides — roughly 1 in every 6 — a 17% win rate that meaningfully outstrips the yard's overall figure. That kind of relationship, where a jockey and trainer consistently elevate each other's numbers, tends to be built on communication and trust as much as talent. Then there's Molto Bene, his standout individual horse: 3 wins from 16 races together, a pairing that has clearly clicked over time.
Four years in, two top-level wins banked, a rising win rate, and a dominant record at specific tracks — Longsdon's yard looks like one that's still finding its ceiling.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon | 22 | 4 | 18.2% |
| Doncaster | 20 | 1 | 5% |
| Worcester | 19 | 5 | 26.3% |
| Newbury | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
| hereford | 11 | 3 | 27.3% |
| Market Rasen | 10 | 2 | 20% |
| Stratford-on-Avon | 10 | 1 | 10% |
| Uttoxeter | 10 | 0 | 0% |
| Bangor-on-Dee | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Sedgefield | 8 | 4 | 50% |
| Plumpton | 7 | 1 | 14.3% |
| Fontwell Park | 7 | 1 | 14.3% |
| Ludlow | 7 | 1 | 14.3% |
| Kempton Park | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| Warwick | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| Leicester | 5 | 2 | 40% |
| Ascot | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Wolverhampton | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Wincanton | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Cheltenham | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Chepstow | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Ffos Las | 4 | 2 | 50% |
| Carlisle | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Haydock Park | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Lingfield Park | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Fakenham | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Exeter | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Southwell | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| chelmsford | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Salisbury | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Aintree | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Wetherby | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Sandown Park | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Windsor | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Catterick Bridge | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Kelso | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Naas | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Newcastle | 1 | 0 | 0% |