Michael Mulvany

The improvement is subtle but telling. Last year he was winning around 1 in every 14 races — 7% of the time. This season that has ticked up to 8%, and in racing, small gains in win rate represent a meaningful step forward. It suggests the operation is sharpening, horses are arriving fitter, and the team is getting smarter about where and when to run.

One partnership stands out above the rest. Mulvany's work with a horse called Fratas has produced 6 wins from 23 races together — that is more than 1 in every 4 runs, a remarkable return that tells you this is a trainer who really understands what makes that particular horse tick. Finding that kind of connection with an individual horse is one of the quiet arts of training, and six wins from 23 together is the sort of record that makes other trainers take notice.

In the saddle, Mulvany turns most often to jockey Wesley Joyce, and the pair have combined for 10 wins from 146 rides — roughly 1 in every 15. That 7% return is slightly below Mulvany's overall yard average, which suggests Joyce takes on some of the harder assignments, rather than just the short-priced favourites. Ten winners from 146 rides is still a solid body of work, and the regularity of the partnership points to genuine trust between trainer and jockey.

Perhaps the most interesting detail in Mulvany's record is what happens when the heavens open. On very wet, muddy ground he wins 4 races from every 19 — a 21% win rate, or roughly 1 in 5. That is more than double his overall average, and it is not a fluke. It points to a yard that trains horses who relish a real test, and it means that on a rain-soaked afternoon when other trainers are grimacing, Mulvany's runners are worth a much closer look.