Robbie Llewellyn

The last two weeks have been particularly eye-catching. Two winners from just 8 runners works out at 25% — double his season average — which suggests the horses in his care are arriving at the track in good nick right now. When a small yard hits a purple patch like this, it tends to be because everything is clicking at once: the training, the timing, the race selection. Whatever Llewellyn is doing, it appears to be working.

One thing he has clearly worked out is the importance of conditions. On wet or muddy ground, his record stands at 9 wins from 36 races — that 25% win rate is almost twice what he achieves overall, and it tells you something important. If one of his horses is declared and the forecast is for rain, that is very much information worth having.

His most reliable ally in the saddle has been jockey Charlie Price, who has partnered Llewellyn's horses to 6 wins from 60 rides together. Winning 1 in every 10 of those races is a solid return, and the sheer volume of rides — 60 — suggests a genuine working relationship rather than a one-off arrangement. When a trainer keeps putting the same jockey up, it usually means there is trust on both sides. But the standout partnership of Llewellyn's short career so far is with a horse called Taxus Baccata, who has won 2 of their 4 races together. Winning half your races with a single horse is the kind of connection that can define a yard's early years, and it will be fascinating to see where that combination goes next.

Fifty-one winners in four years is a respectable foundation. The improving numbers, the wet-ground edge, and the current good form all point to a trainer who is learning fast and making the most of what he has.