Craig Lidster

Lidster has found a reliable ally in jockey William Pyle, who has partnered his horses to 4 wins from 32 rides together. That works out at roughly 1 in every 8 — modest on paper, but a pairing that clearly has a working rhythm to it, and one that may well improve further as the two continue to develop their understanding.

One detail that stands out is how well Lidster's horses perform when the weather turns. On wet or muddy ground, his yard wins 3 from 12 — that's 1 in every 4 races, a figure that would make most trainers envious. Finding conditions that suit your horses is one of the quieter arts of the training game, and on a soggy afternoon, Lidster's runners are worth a second look.

His record at Musselburgh is equally eye-catching. Three winners from just 6 runners at that track is a 50% win rate — meaning, in blunt terms, that every other horse he sends there comes home first. For a trainer still in the early part of his career, having a track where the numbers stack up that convincingly is a real asset, and it hints at someone who understands the course well and targets it deliberately.

The partnership with Mr McLoughlan, meanwhile, hasn't clicked yet — three races together and no wins — but three runs is too small a sample to read much into. The broader story here is a trainer who has quietly built to 91 career winners in four years, improved his numbers significantly in the past 12 months, and appears to have found a genuine stronghold at one of Scottish racing's best-loved venues. Lidster is one to follow.