Phillip Makin

The most telling number in Makin's record is what happens when he gets his horses to Hamilton Park. From just 12 runners at that track, he has produced 3 winners — a win rate of 1 in 4, which is exceptional by any standard. Most trainers would be happy with that kind of return from their strongest track after a decade in the job. For Makin, it suggests he either targets the track carefully, or simply reads it better than most.

His best horse so far has been Fast Fred, and the two have built a genuine partnership. Four wins from 25 races together makes Fast Fred the standout performer in the yard — a horse that Makin clearly knows inside out and gets the best from consistently. That kind of record with a single horse tells you something about patience and understanding, not just placing a runner and hoping.

Makin also has a clear preference for normal ground conditions, where he wins at 12% — 3 from 24 races — compared to his overall season rate of 8%. When the track is riding well and conditions are fair, his runners perform noticeably better, which is a useful thing to know if you're watching one of his horses. His most regular jockey is Rowan Scott, who has ridden 42 times for the yard and come home in front on 3 occasions. It's a working partnership rather than a dazzling one, but 42 rides together in a relatively short career shows real continuity and trust between the two.

Thirty-eight winners in four years won't put Makin on the front page, but the building blocks are there — a track he dominates, a standout horse, and a win rate that has held firm across a full season. Trainers who get this far this quietly often turn out to be the ones worth watching.