The most telling detail in Butler's record is what happens when the ground gets soft and wet underfoot. In those conditions, he has won 2 from just 6 races — that's 1 in every 3, a win rate that any trainer in the country would be pleased with. Whether that reflects a deliberate eye for placing horses on the right ground, or a string that simply thrives when conditions get testing, it's the kind of pattern that's worth paying attention to.
His most frequent partnership has been with Mi Sueno, a horse he has run 19 times without a win together. That's a long road without a breakthrough, and it tells you something honest about the level Butler is operating at right now — these are tough races to win, and not every horse in a small yard is going to be a star. What it also shows, though, is persistence. Nineteen runs with the same horse speaks to a trainer who backs his judgement and keeps believing in what he has.
Butler is still early in his career — four years in is nothing in a profession where it can take a decade to establish yourself — and the improvement he has shown this season gives genuine reason to follow what he does next. If he can keep placing horses well on wet ground and continue converting at roughly 1 in 12 overall, the winners will keep coming. Small yards have launched big careers before, and the upward curve here is hard to ignore.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lingfield Park | 17 | 0 | 0% |
| Plumpton | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| Fontwell Park | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Kempton Park | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| chelmsford | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| Brighton | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Bath | 3 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Nottingham | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Epsom Downs | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Wolverhampton | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Windsor | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Beverley | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Huntingdon | 1 | 0 | 0% |