Sly Man's Jockeys Taking Aim — Wednesday 26 August 2026
The riders I'm watching today — the loaded books, the marquee bookings, the form jocks pinging the radar.
Five riders worth watching today. A loaded book is a market signal in itself — when a form jock has multiple chances, the yard sees the day as live. I read the diaries with one eye on the silks, one on the trainer form. Here's what's caught my eye.
⚡ Oisin Murphy is running red-hot right now — six winners in the last seven days from a man who already converts at 21% across 1354 career rides, so this is form on top of form. Point your clock at the 17:55, where Somers Isles carries a stratospheric speed rating of 155 and Murphy in the plate — that booking did not need to shout to get my attention.
- 6 winners in the last 7 days
- 21% career strike rate (1354 rides)
- On Somers Isles (SR 155) in the 17:55
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16:10
Primal T: Andrew Balding11/8 🥈 2nd
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16:45
Yabreen T: Jack Channon10/3 7th
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17:20
Battleworthy T: Andrew Balding3/1 7th
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17:55
Somers Isles T: Andrew Balding5/2 🥉 3rd
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19:00
Show Me Gold T: Tom Dascombe6/1 4th
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19:30
Edwin Hubble T: Brian Meehan7/2 🥉 3rd
Hector Crouch
⚡ Hector Crouch has fired in three winners from the last seven days and arrives here with six chances to keep the streak rolling. The 17:20 booking on Saturn Star — rated 152 — is the one to circle, because that is a horse carrying serious ability and Crouch's 18% career strike rate tells you he does not waste mounts like that.
- 3 winners in the last 7 days
- 18% career strike rate (832 rides)
- On Saturn Star (SR 152) in the 17:20
- 16:10 Sovereigns High 11/1 8th
- 17:20 Saturn Star 4/1 Race at 17:20
- 17:55 State Of America 28/1 8th
- 18:30 Cloud Forest 5/1 🥈 2nd
- 19:00 Bold Shout 13/8 🥉 3rd
- 19:30 Eagles Attire 13/2 5th
Billy Loughnane
⚡ Billy Loughnane is on fire right now — seven winners in the last seven days from a man already running at 19% across 1,787 career rides, which is not a fluke, that is a pattern. He climbs aboard Bidsta in the 17:55, a 154-rated horse that deserves a rider in this kind of nick, and that booking alone tells you where the smart money is looking.
- 7 winners in the last 7 days
- 19% career strike rate (1787 rides)
- On Bidsta (SR 154) in the 17:55
- 16:10 Regal Tiger 7/1 Race at 16:10
- 16:45 Solar Swing 3/1 4th
- 17:55 Bidsta 9/4 🥈 2nd
- 18:30 Zatsgood 6/1 🥉 3rd
- 19:00 Artanis 9/1 5th
- 19:30 Island Bear 20/1 4th
Connor Beasley
⚡ Connor Beasley is riding the hottest streak on the card right now — four winners in seven days from a man whose 15% career strike rate already earns respect over 399 rides. He gets on Purrista (SR 125) in the 14:15, and a five-ride book on a day like this tells you the yard phones are ringing his number for a reason.
- 4 winners in the last 7 days
- On Purrista (SR 125) in the 14:15
- 5 rides across the card
- 14:15 Purrista 33/1 5th
- 14:45 Lady Gormire 10/3 🏆 WON
- 15:45 Mr Withington 16/1 🥈 2nd
- 16:15 Call Margot 15/2 🥉 3rd
- 16:52 Without Delay 10/3 🥉 3rd
Darragh O'Keeffe
⚡ Darragh O'Keeffe is in the form of his life right now — seven winners from his last seven days of riding is not a purple patch, it's a takeover — and connections clearly know it, handing him a seven-ride book across the card. Red Glory in the 17:35 sits at the top of that pile with a speed rating of 118, and a jockey this hot on a horse rated that well is not a combination you walk past.
- 7 winners in the last 7 days
- 7 rides across the card
- On Red Glory (SR 118) in the 17:35
- 15:51 Eastern Wind 20/1 7th
- 16:25 Whats New 3/1 🥉 3rd
- 17:00 Cornaroya Rocco 10/1 4th
- 17:35 Red Glory 9/2 Pulled up
- 18:05 Radar Ahead 25/1 Pulled up
- 18:38 Lunar Landscape 6/1 🥈 2nd
- 19:08 Colin's Friend 15/2 Race at 19:08