Thomas Dowling

That said, there is a small but genuine sign of progress. Last year the win rate was 0% — not a single winner from whatever runners he had. Getting to 1% may not sound like much, but going from nothing to something is a real threshold in this game, and Dowling has crossed it.

His most productive partnership is with jockey Gavin Ryan, who has ridden 19 times for the yard and come away with 1 winner — a win rate of 5%, or 1 in every 19 rides. That's actually a far healthier return than the yard's overall figure, which suggests Ryan may be the right person in the saddle when Dowling has a horse with a genuine chance. When the ground is normal, the numbers improve slightly too: 1 winner from 24 races at 4%, meaning standard conditions seem to suit the horses he runs.

The most striking detail in Dowling's record is his partnership with Man Is King. Thirty races together, zero wins. That is a remarkable number of attempts without a breakthrough — most trainers would have moved on long before that point, or a horse would have found its level elsewhere. Whether that persistence reflects loyalty, optimism, or simply a horse that keeps finishing just outside the places, it defines a lot of what Dowling's four years have looked like so far: effort without reward, but effort nonetheless. At four years in, he is still very much building.