Matt Crawley

Crawley has been sending horses out since 2021 and has built a career tally of 21 winners, which shows there is genuine ability in the yard. But the last 12 months have been a grind, and the numbers are hard to dress up. His most-used jockey partnership is with Jack Quinlan, who has ridden 33 times for the yard without a single winner — a remarkable run of near-misses that will be quietly frustrating for everyone involved.

The one bright spot worth highlighting is his relationship with Taxus Baccata. Two wins from 11 races together might not sound like much, but in a season where winners have been scarce, that horse has been the yard's most reliable source of good days. It's the kind of partnership that keeps a small operation ticking over.

When it comes to conditions, Crawley's horses seem to find their best form on normal, standard ground — 2 wins from 35 races in those conditions works out at 6%, double his overall season average. That's a meaningful difference and suggests his string is better suited to fair-weather racing than wet or muddy tracks.

The honest picture is of a trainer whose yard has the foundations in place — 21 career winners in four years is a decent start — but who is working through a difficult patch. Turning that 3% back toward last season's figures will be the challenge that defines where Crawley ends up. Small yards often run on momentum, and right now he needs a winner to start building some.