The most telling detail so far is what's happening at Southwell. Four of their six winners this season have come at that one track, from 17 runners — meaning nearly 1 in every 4 horses they send there comes back with a win. For a young yard, finding a track where your horses consistently perform is invaluable. It suggests Culhane and Barclay aren't just throwing runners at a wall; they're learning quickly which environments suit their horses and targeting them accordingly.
Their strongest working relationship in the saddle has been with jockey Stevie Donohoe, and the numbers there are striking. Four wins from 12 rides together means Donohoe has won on 1 in every 3 horses he's ridden for the yard — a return that most established stables would be delighted with. When a jockey and a yard click like that early on, it often means there's a shared understanding of how the horses are prepared and how they like to be ridden. That's the kind of partnership worth watching.
One relationship that hasn't clicked yet is with Spirit Of Bowland — five races together and no wins. That's not a crisis, but it's a reminder that not every combination works, and it's a small puzzle for the yard to solve as they grow into the job. With everything else pointing in the right direction, though, this is a team that has made a confident start and looks like it has more to come.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
| Wolverhampton | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
| Newcastle | 5 | 0 | 0% |