John & Rhys Flint

The most encouraging detail is the direction of travel. Their win rate has climbed from 6% last year to 8% this season, which works out at roughly 1 winner in every 13 runners. That might not sound dramatic, but in a sport where margins are everything, a consistent upward curve in year two of training is exactly what you want to see. Eight winners from 103 runners this season tells you they are placing horses in races they can be competitive in, which is a skill in itself.

Where things get genuinely interesting is on fast, dry ground. In those conditions, the Flints win roughly 1 in every 5 races — 5 from 23 — which is a strong number by any measure. That jumps out as more than coincidence. It suggests their horses are suited to a particular style of racing surface, and any punter or enthusiast would do well to pay attention when the ground firms up and the Flints have a runner declared.

Chepstow is another thread worth pulling on. Four winners from 21 runners at that track is a better return than their overall numbers, and for a yard only two years old, having a track where things click is a real asset. Chepstow is a long, undulating circuit that suits horses with a certain kind of stamina and jumping ability, and the Flints clearly know how to prepare a horse for it.

Their most used jockey is William Carson, who has partnered 19 of their horses for 1 win — a partnership that has not quite fired yet on paper. The standout pairing with Runamara has also yet to produce a win from five attempts together. Both are worth watching, less because of what they have delivered so far and more because any yard two years into the job is still building those relationships. The Flints are a young operation with a clear upward curve, a track they own, and a surface they thrive on. The story is still being written.