If any jockey looks to have took a benefit from the falls that took Zac Purton and Vincent Ho out of the picture lately, it was certainly Brenton Avdulla who has been the most in form rider in town.
Since the falls on February 9, Avdulla has ridden 14 winners, leading Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni on 10 each, but a deep look shows the results have come with a better level of quality to his rides.
Beforehand, Avdulla had more wins, 19, but from 274 rides and with a market expectation of 20 wins, or just around one every 13.7 rides. Since February 9, Avdulla has won 14 times from just 66 rides and the market expectation has been for 9.4 wins, or one win in seven mounts. Avdulla has taken the chance to ride better chances firmly In hand and is making the best of it, including 6 wins from 21 rides for John Size, where he had 64 rides for 6 wins this season prior.
On The trainers' table, we finally have a little bit of separation in our ratings after what has been a four or five way arm wrestle much of the campaign.
Size has landed 16 wins from his last 100 runners, slipping four clear in the championship and putting a two-point gap between himself and freshman David Eustace at the head of our ratings.
(Note, apprentice jockey ratings reflect performances with their allowance "built in". As their claim reduces and they compete on a more equal footing, we expect their rating to deteriorate unless they are top class riders.)
​These ratings are updated regularly and designed to reflect current form but with past figures also putting a brake on hot-streak performers or uplifting a long-term quality player having a quiet run.