Ed de Giles

The one area where de Giles has genuine cause for optimism is fast, dry ground. On those conditions this season he has won 4 races from 28 runners — roughly 1 in every 7 — which at 14% is more than double his overall rate. That kind of split tells you something meaningful: when the ground suits, his horses perform. It suggests the yard has horses built for speed and a firm surface, and that de Giles knows how to place them when conditions are right.

His most productive working relationship is with jockey Luke Morris, who has ridden 22 times for the yard and converted 3 of those into winners — a win rate of around 1 in 7. That is a meaningful partnership in a season where winners have been hard to come by, and Morris clearly understands what de Giles is trying to do with his horses. One partnership that hasn't clicked yet is with King Berry, who has been winless across 3 races together. Three races is too small a sample to draw firm conclusions, but it's a combination still waiting for its moment.

De Giles is still in the early chapters of what could be a long training career, and one difficult season does not define a trainer. The foundations are there — 47 winners, a clear strength on quick ground, and a reliable ally in the saddle. The question for the season ahead is whether he can get that win rate back to where it was and start converting more of those 145-runner weeks into something to celebrate.