Simon Hodgson

The partnership with jockey Alistair Rawlinson is where Hodgson's operation really clicks. Six wins from 27 rides together — that's a win rate of 22%, or nearly 1 in every 4 races — is a remarkable return and suggests the two have developed a genuine understanding of how to place horses and ride to their strengths. When you find a jockey who gets your horses, you ride that partnership hard, and Hodgson clearly has.

His longest-running collaboration is with Villalobos, a horse he has sent out 41 times — by far the most of any runner in his yard. Five wins from those 41 races tells a story of a trainer who keeps faith with his horses and knows how to find the right opportunities over time. Forty-one races is a long road to travel together, and five wins from that journey suggests a horse that has been carefully managed rather than burned out chasing big prizes.

One clear pattern in Hodgson's record is how much he benefits from normal ground conditions. Seven wins from 47 races on a standard surface works out to 15% — 1 in every 7 — which is more than double his overall season average. That kind of split tells you something useful: when the ground is right, his horses perform. It also suggests that if you're watching one of his runners and the conditions suit, it's worth paying attention. Still early days for a trainer who only started in 2021, but the pieces are coming together in a way that makes Hodgson's yard one to follow as the seasons go on.