David Killahena & Graeme McPherson

Their overall record tells a story of a yard still finding its feet but already punching above its weight. Across their career they have trained 58 winners in total, and over the last 12 months they have sent out 144 runners and won with 18 of them — roughly 1 in every 8. That 12% win rate is a slight dip from 17% the previous season, which is worth keeping an eye on, though it is not unusual for a young operation to fluctuate as it grows and takes on more horses at different levels.

One detail that stands out is their record on wet, muddy ground. With only 4 runners in those conditions they have won twice — a 50% conversion rate that is almost certainly too small a sample to draw firm conclusions from, but it does suggest their horses may be well-suited when the ground is testing. That is a useful weapon heading into the winter months.

Their most reliable partnership in the saddle is with jockey Nick Slatter, who has ridden 48 times for the yard and won 6 of those — also around 1 in every 8. That consistency across a reasonable number of rides suggests a genuine working relationship rather than a one-off combination, and when Slatter is booked for a Killahena and McPherson runner it is a combination worth paying attention to.

What makes this yard genuinely interesting is the speed of their rise. Three top-level wins from a standing start, including at Cheltenham, inside 24 months is not a slow build — it is an arrival. The win rate may have softened slightly this season, but the ceiling this team has already shown exists is higher than most new yards ever reach.