Matt Sheppard

This season, Sheppard has managed 7 winners from 99 runners — that's roughly 1 in every 14 races, a win rate of around 7%. For context, last year he was winning at twice that rate, closer to 1 in every 7. The dip is noticeable, and it's the sort of form that will be keeping him busy on the gallops trying to find whatever small edges he can. Whether it's a temporary blip or a sign of a leaner squad, it's worth watching how the second half of the season plays out.

One area where Sheppard does hold a genuine edge is on wet, muddy ground. He's won 1 from 9 races in those conditions this season — roughly 11%, which beats his overall average comfortably. It's a small sample, but it suggests his horses are prepared for tough underfoot conditions and may be worth keeping an eye on when the weather turns.

His most regular partnership is with jockey Stan Sheppard — almost certainly a family connection, given the shared surname — who has ridden 53 times for the yard and produced 2 winners together. That's a win rate of around 4%, which is modest, but the sheer volume of rides shows a strong working relationship built on trust. As for Lucky Lugger, the horse most associated with Sheppard's name, the record reads just 1 win from 20 races together — a reminder that racing rarely hands you the fairytale results you might hope for, even with a horse you know inside out.

Sheppard is still a relatively young trainer finding his feet, and 51 career winners in four years is genuinely respectable. The current dip in form is the most interesting question hanging over his yard — experienced enough now to know these runs happen, but hungry enough to want to turn it around quickly.