What is James Cowley's strike rate?

James Cowley has won 37 of 359 rides since 2008, a strike rate of 10.3% (as at 22 October 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.

Which course does James Cowley do best at?

Bangor-on-Dee by strike rate: 7 wins from 32 rides (21.9%) since 2008. Read from the 15 courses with the most rides on the same basis, and only those with at least 30 — a small sample cannot top the list, and a rarely-visited course is not in the comparison.

Which yard does James Cowley ride most for?

Donald McCain, with 244 rides since 2008 — 68% of the total. That pairing has won 29 (11.9%).

What is James Cowley's Fair A/E?

0.79, from 357 rides with a computed fair probability since 2008. Fair A/E compares actual wins with a margin-stripped market expectation, so 1.00 is par: above it the wins came at bigger prices than the margin-free market implied, below it they did not.

Jockey profile

James Cowley

359 rides in the lifetime window · 187 individual horses

As at 22 Oct 2026 · KTB archive: 2005–present, updated daily

Last ride May 2017 100% of rides over jumps

Last 5 seasons Lifetime (2011→)

No rides in the last 5 seasons — showing the lifetime record, from 1 Jan 2008 — the aggregate floor: every horse in the window has a complete captured career behind it.

37–359

Wins / Runs

10.3%

Strike rate

n=359

97 (27%)

Placed

0.79

Fair A/E

n=357 · 0.70 incl. margin

−181.17

£1 level stake

n=359 at SP · −50.5%

£239k

Prize money (window)

Strike by season

5.4%

KTB Rider Profile

Rode around 50 times a season, almost all over hurdles and fences, winning on 10% of them — a touch below the margin-free market read across the lifetime window (Fair A/E 0.79). Riding last-time-out winners the record reads 14% (43 rides). Rode mostly for Donald McCain — 68% of rides in the window.

Deterministic profile computed from 359 archived runs (lifetime window) · updated 22 Oct 2026

KTB at a glance Fired Feb–Apr 27.5% when favourite Donald McCain: 11.9% from 244 LTO winners: 14% Rode the favourite in 11% of races

The read

The record is strongest at Bangor-on-Dee (21.9%, n=32), clear of the rider's 10.3% baseline. Rides on last-time-out winners have been a positive signal at 14% (n=43, Fair A/E 0.66), but rides in big fields of 14 or more have been a poor signal at 6.3% (n=32, Fair A/E 1.07). The market has consistently overbet first rides on a horse: 8.6% strike, Fair A/E 0.78 and −106.30 to a £1 stake over 187 rides — those runners underperformed what the price implied. Donald McCain supplied 68% of the rides and matches the rider's average almost exactly (11.9%, A/E 0.84). The record read poorly in Class 3 — 6% over 50 rides, 4.3pts below the baseline. Seasonally, the rider fired Feb–Apr.

Written from the figures on this page — every claim carries its sample. Descriptive, not a tip.

Riding patterns

the angles behind the record · vs 10.3% baseline

First ride on the horse · first captured pairing

8.6%−1.7

n=187 · A/E 0.78 · £1 −106.30

Last-time-out winners · previous run was a win

14%+3.7

n=43 · A/E 0.66 · £1 −22.37

Fresh horses · 61+ days off

10%−0.3

n=60 · A/E 0.85 · £1 −34.00

When favourite

27.5%

n=40 · A/E 0.92 · £1 −6.54

Claiming rides · riding with a claim

10.2%−0.1

n=342 · A/E 0.79 · £1 −171.79

Big fields · 14+ runners

6.3%−4.0

n=32 · A/E 1.07 · £1 −21.00

Group / Graded races · pattern & listed

0%−10.3

n=3 · A/E 0.00 · £1 −3.00

Each tile is the record in that situation vs the 10.3% baseline — descriptive splits with the sample always shown, not tips. Tiles under 30 runs render muted. First rides are the first captured pairing of horse and rider; last-time-out winners are horses whose previous captured run was a win; claiming rides are runs where the rider carried a weight claim. Group / Graded covers pattern and listed races.

Notable angles

vs their own baseline

At Bangor-on-Dee 21.9% vs 10.3% · n=32

With horses switching code 4.8% vs 10.3% · n=42

In Class 3 6% vs 10.3% · n=50

On last-time-out winners 14% vs 10.3% · n=43

On first rides for the horse 8.6% vs 10.3% · n=187 · A/E 0.78

With Donald McCain 11.9% vs 10.3% · n=244 · A/E 0.84

Descriptive splits ranked by divergence × sample — insight, not instruction. Every angle carries its N; nothing under 30 runs qualifies. Rows within 2pts of the baseline appear only when the market-relative read (Fair A/E) diverges, and show it.

Record by conditions

same window as header

Race type

TypeRWSR£1

Hurdle 261 27 10.3% −131.50

Chase 73 7 9.6% −35.17

NH Flat 24 3 12.5% −13.50

Flat 1 0 0% −1.00

Going

GoingRWSR£1

Good 157 18 11.5% −79.54

Good to Soft 82 9 11% −23.25

Soft 69 6 8.7% −41.75

Heavy 28 1 3.6% −24.50

Good to Firm 22 3 13.6% −11.13

Firm 1 0 0% −1.00

Courses

CourseRWSR£1

Sedgefield 34 4 11.8% −20.13

Bangor-on-Dee 32 7 21.9% −3.87

Catterick 28 4 14.3% −4.50

Uttoxeter 21 0 0% −21.00

Cartmel 19 4 21.1% −1.62

Stratford 14 1 7.1% +3.00

Carlisle 14 1 7.1% −8.50

Doncaster 11 0 0% −11.00

Worcester 11 2 18.2% +0.33

Kelso 11 1 9.1% −7.00

Ludlow 11 0 0% −11.00

Wetherby 10 2 20% +0.50

Hexham 10 2 20% −1.50

Perth 9 0 0% −9.00

Aintree 8 0 0% −8.00

Class

ClassRWSR£1

Class 4 182 21 11.5% −77.62

Class 5 80 9 11.3% −36.63

Class 3 50 3 6% −32.67

Class 6 24 4 16.7% −11.25

Class 2 19 0 0% −19.00

Class 1 4 0 0% −4.00

Market position

In the bettingRWSRA/E£1

Favourite 51 14 27.5% 0.98 −4.54

2nd–3rd fav 109 18 16.5% 0.87 −29.13

4th–6th fav 106 5 4.7% 0.59 −54.50

7th+ in betting 93 0 0% 0.00 −93.00

Fair A/E per band is the tell: near 1.00 the market had it priced right; well above, the wins came where the market didn't expect them.

Rows below n=30 are shown faded — a small sample is a fact, not a trend. Every figure carries its N.

Jumping record

completion over obstacles · same window as header

84.7% completed · 334 obstacle rides (chases & hurdles)

CodeRCompFURPUBDOth

Chase 73 79.5% 1 5 9 0 0

Hurdle 261 86.2% 2 6 26 0 2

Chases and hurdles only — bumpers have no obstacles, so completion is not a question there. F fell · UR unseated rider · PU pulled up · BD brought down · Oth covers refusals, slip-ups, run-outs and the rare disqualification. Non-runners are excluded throughout. Rows under n=30 are shown faded. A descriptive record, not a tip.

Horses ridden

same window as header · most-raced first

HorseRWPlLast ran

Shantou Tiger (IRE) 21 3 8 15 Apr 17

Valleyofmilan (IRE) 20 4 6 29 Dec 16

Wazowski (GB) 11 1 3 5 Apr 17

Whatdoesthefoxsay (IRE) 9 1 5 7 Apr 17

Prince Khurram (GB) 8 2 3 22 Apr 17

Court Dismissed (IRE) 8 2 3 16 Dec 16

Short Takes (USA) 6 0 0 5 Sep 15

Whitcombe Spirit (GB) 6 0 1 9 Feb 13

Thyne For Gold (IRE) 5 1 2 25 Mar 17

Whiskey Chaser (IRE) 5 1 1 23 Jan 17

Court Of Law (IRE) 5 0 1 27 Sep 16

Hoo La Baloo (FR) 5 1 2 1 Apr 12

Showing the 60 most-raced of the 187 horses ridden in this window — each ran at least 1 time. Horses with fewer runs aren't listed; search finds any horse since 2005. Runs, wins and places only: a strike rate or a return on a handful of runs is noise, so none is quoted per horse — each horse's full record is on its own page.

By month

strike by month, lifetime

JFMAMJJASOND

013141242016207936

A jumps rider: the season runs Oct–Apr. Muted months are small samples (under 30 runs) — read them with the caution they deserve.

Riding for

same window · biggest samples first

Main yardDonald McCain

68% of all rides
11.9% SR · A/E 0.84

TrainerRWSR£1

Donald McCain 244 29 11.9% −100.87

Paul Nicholls 33 4 12.1% −16.17

Muted rows are under 30 rides and sit behind "Show all".

Career highlights

lifetime archive, 2011→

Archived wins

£239k

Prize money

2016

Best season · 14 wins

Shantou Tiger (IRE) — Visit timeform.com/freebets Handicap Hurdle Bangor-on-Dee · Oct 2016 · Class 4

£6,498

Valleyofmilan (IRE) — Barchester Healthcare Handicap Chase Worcester · Jul 2015 · Class 3

£6,330

Grandioso (IRE) — Purvis Marquees Racing Excellence 'Hands And Heels' Finale Handicap Hurdle (Conditionals & Amateurs) Ayr · Apr 2012 · Class 3

£5,848

Notable horses

Valleyofmilan (IRE) Shantou Tiger (IRE) Prince Khurram (GB) Court Dismissed (IRE) Perfect Poison (IRE) Wazowski (GB)

Sires of the horses ridden

progeny record · win % by ground and trip

Shantou (USA) 14.3% · 4–28

Progeny have won 13.6% of 7,819 runs since 2008 (539 horses). Strongest on Good to Firm going: 20.3% from 158.

Milan (GB) 18.5% · 5–27

Progeny have won 11.3% of 16,848 runs since 2008 (1,463 horses).

Overbury (IRE) 11.8% · 2–17

Progeny have won 10.7% of 4,657 runs since 2008 (423 horses).

Court Cave (IRE) 13.3% · 2–15

Progeny have won 10.1% of 7,929 runs since 2008 (551 horses). Weakest on Heavy going: 6.9% from 934.

Vinnie Roe (IRE) 28.6% · 4–14

Progeny have won 11.3% of 3,061 runs since 2008 (236 horses). Weakest on Good to Firm going: 7.8% from 166.

Nayef (USA) 16.7% · 2–12

Progeny have won 10% of 5,634 runs since 2008 (518 horses). Weakest over 2m5f – 3m (all codes): 6% from 216.

Top line: the rider's own record with each sire's runners (win %, wins–runs), same window as the header; faded under 30 runs. Beneath it: every run by that sire's progeny in our archive since 2008, as at 22 Oct 2026 — what they have done, not a forecast. A going or a distance is named only where at least 100 progeny runs sit 3 or more points from the sire's own win rate. Distance bands cover Flat and jumps together.

The record

latest 50 of 359 · newest first

The latest 50 of 359 archived rides, newest first. The full record runs from 22 February 2011 to 11 May 2017.

DateCourseHorseRaceFinishSP

11 May 17 Carlisle Present Trend (IRE)T: Richard Ford Racing UK HD On Sky 432 Conditional Jockeys' Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 19.5f · Good · 7 ran 6th 11/2

25 Apr 17 Hexham Hit And Run (IRE)T: Donald McCain Welcome To Hexham 'National Hunt' Novices' HurdleClass 4 · 16f · Good · 12 ran 3rd 40/1

23 Apr 17 Wetherby Dear Sire (FR)T: Donald McCain National Festival Circus Is Here Today Conditional Jockeys' Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 16f · Good · 10 ran 1st 9/2

22 Apr 17 Bangor-on-Dee Rockalzaro (FR)T: Donald McCain British Thoroughbred Retraining Standard NH Flat Race (Conds/Amateurs)Class 6 · 16.5f · Good · 9 ran 3rd 11/1

22 Apr 17 Bangor-on-Dee Prince Khurram (GB)T: Donald McCain Maelor Handicap Hurdle (Div 1)Class 5 · 19.5f · Good · 8 ran 4th 7/2

19 Apr 17 Sedgefield Qatea (IRE)T: Donald McCain Macmillan Cancer Support Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 17f · Good · 13 ran 8th 25/1

15 Apr 17 Stratford Shantou Tiger (IRE)T: Donald McCain Integrated Scaffolding Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 26.5f · Good · 6 ran 4th 9/2

15 Apr 17 Carlisle Princess Mononoke (IRE)T: Donald McCain totescoop6 Play Today Mares' Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 17f · Good To Soft · 8 ran 3rd 7/2

08 Apr 17 Aintree Cousin Oscar (IRE)T: Donald McCain Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle (Conditional Jockeys And Amateur Riders)Class 2 · 16.5f · Good · 19 ran PU 12/1

07 Apr 17 Sedgefield Whatdoesthefoxsay (IRE)T: Donald McCain Betfred Mobile Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 27f · Good · 5 ran 3rd 11/4

07 Apr 17 Sedgefield Viserion (GB)T: Donald McCain Betfred 'Treble Odds On Lucky 15's' Novices' HurdleClass 4 · 17f · Good · 8 ran 2nd 7/4

05 Apr 17 Carlisle Wazowski (GB)T: Donald McCain Racing Uk Day Pass Just 10 Conditional Jockeys' Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 19.5f · Good To Soft · 9 ran 3rd 15/2

01 Apr 17 Uttoxeter Benissimo (IRE)T: Tony Forbes Betfred Watch Sky Sports In Our Shops Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 20f · Soft · 12 ran 8th 66/1

01 Apr 17 Uttoxeter Robert De Bruce (IRE)T: Donald McCain Betfred TV Conditional Jockeys' Maiden HurdleClass 5 · 20f · Soft · 7 ran 7th 40/1

25 Mar 17 Stratford Thyne For Gold (IRE)T: Donald McCain Get Value On Course At Stratford Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 22f · Good To Soft · 6 ran 3rd 2/1F

22 Mar 17 Haydock Middlebrow (IRE)T: Donald McCain Howdens Joinery 'Fixed Brush' Novices' Handicap HurdleClass 3 · 19f · Heavy · 3 ran 2nd 3/1

16 Mar 17 Hexham Princess Mononoke (IRE)T: Donald McCain Europa League Betting At 188bet Mares' 'national Hunt' Novices' HurdleClass 4 · 16f · Soft · 5 ran 1st 5/2

11 Mar 17 Hereford Golden Investment (IRE)T: Donald McCain Play Casino At 188bet Conditional Jockeys' Handicap ChaseClass 4 · 25f · Soft · 8 ran 2nd 10/3F

09 Mar 17 Carlisle Wazowski (GB)T: Donald McCain Racing Uk Hd Novices' Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 17f · Heavy · 3 ran 3rd 7/2

08 Mar 17 Catterick Whiteoak Stroller (GB)T: Donald McCain Akebar Park Leisure Ltd Mares' Standard NH Flat Race (Conditional Jockeys' And Amateur Riders')Class 6 · 15.5f · Soft · 8 ran 4th 7/2

Drawn from the whole archive (2005 onwards), so it can include runs outside the window the header statistics cover. Non-runners are not listed. A finish shown in letters is a non-completion (F fell · UR unseated · PU pulled up · BD brought down).

Quick answers

What is James Cowley's strike rate?: James Cowley has won 37 of 359 rides since 2008, a strike rate of 10.3% (as at 22 October 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.
Which course does James Cowley do best at?: Bangor-on-Dee by strike rate: 7 wins from 32 rides (21.9%) since 2008. Read from the 15 courses with the most rides on the same basis, and only those with at least 30 — a small sample cannot top the list, and a rarely-visited course is not in the comparison.
Which yard does James Cowley ride most for?: Donald McCain, with 244 rides since 2008 — 68% of the total. That pairing has won 29 (11.9%).
What is James Cowley's Fair A/E?: 0.79, from 357 rides with a computed fair probability since 2008. Fair A/E compares actual wins with a margin-stripped market expectation, so 1.00 is par: above it the wins came at bigger prices than the margin-free market implied, below it they did not.