Micky Hammond

The headline right now is his recent form. Over the last two weeks, Hammond has produced 5 winners from just 18 runners — that is a win rate of 28%, compared to his season average of roughly 1 in every 13. In racing, a trainer going through a hot spell like this is usually doing something right: horses in good health, good entries, good timing. Whatever the reason, the yard is firing at the moment.

There is also a clear improvement in his overall numbers. Last year he was winning about 1 in every 25 races. This season that figure has risen to 1 in every 13 — 31 winners from 415 runners. That kind of jump does not happen by accident, and it suggests Hammond is hitting his stride as a trainer.

One track stands out in particular: Cartmel, a beautiful, quirky little course in the Lake District that rewards local knowledge more than almost anywhere else in the country. Hammond has sent out 3 winners from just 11 runners there, a win rate that any trainer would be proud of. Getting a horse to run well around Cartmel's tight turns and unusual layout takes a certain understanding of the place, and he clearly has it.

His most regular pairing with a jockey is Aiden Brookes, who has ridden for Hammond 94 times and produced 4 wins together — about 1 in every 24 rides, a modest figure but one that reflects the volume and loyalty of the partnership rather than any lack of talent. The more eye-catching individual story is with the horse Getaway Jewel, who has won 4 of their 44 races together. That is a long-running relationship that has delivered results, and in jump racing, finding a horse you understand and keeping faith with it is something the best trainers do well. Hammond clearly does it here.