Donncha Duggan

The brightest thread running through Duggan's record is his partnership with Ballykinlar. Three wins from 12 races together means the pair clicks once every four attempts — a win rate that puts that particular combination well above anything else in the yard's recent history. When a trainer and a single horse find that kind of rhythm, it often points to a real understanding of what that horse needs and when to run it. Ballykinlar has clearly become the standard-bearer for the operation.

On the jockey front, the most-used partnership tells a different story. John Shinnick has ridden ten times for the yard without a winner — 0 from 10 is a blank slate, and at some point both trainer and jockey will be hoping that run turns. Ten rides is enough attempts that the lack of a result is noticeable, though in small yards these long-running partnerships often survive on loyalty and the belief that the right horse will come along.

One genuinely encouraging detail is Duggan's record when the ground is riding normally. Two wins from 11 races in those conditions gives a win rate of around 1 in 5 — significantly stronger than his overall figures suggest. That gap hints that the yard may struggle when the ground turns wet or very dry, and that Duggan is at his sharpest when conditions are straightforward. For a trainer still building his string and learning which horses suit which situations, that kind of pattern is useful to know.

Four years in, three winners from 58 runners this season is not a headline number — but training is a long game, and Ballykinlar alone shows there is something worth watching here.