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Jockey profile

James Smith

558 rides in the lifetime window · 243 individual horses
As at 12 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: 2005–present, updated daily
Last ride 3 days ago 100% of rides over jumps
Last 5 seasons Lifetime (2010→)
from 1 Jan 2008 — the aggregate floor: every horse in the window has a complete captured career behind it
49–558
Wins / Runs
8.8%
Strike rate
n=558
146 (26%)
Placed
1.12
Fair A/E
n=558 · 0.89 incl. margin
−106.40
£1 level stake
n=558 at SP · −19.1%
£742k
Prize money (window)
Strike by season
6.5%
KTB Rider Profile

Rides around 30 times a season, almost all over hurdles and fences, winning on 9% of them — beating the margin-free market read across the lifetime window (Fair A/E 1.12). Riding last-time-out winners the record reads 16% (44 rides).

Deterministic profile computed from 558 archived runs (lifetime window) · updated 12 Nov 2026
KTB at a glance Fires Nov–Dec 37.5% when favourite Matthew J Smith: 9.1% from 154 First rides: 9.1% LTO winners: 15.9% Claiming: 8.9% Rides the favourite in 6% of races
The read

It is weakest at Fairyhouse (0% over 50 rides) — the widest gap in the record. Rides on last-time-out winners have been a positive signal at 15.9% (n=44, Fair A/E 1.12). Horses returning fresh after 61+ days are the standout value angle: 8.8% strikes only just above baseline, but Fair A/E 1.51 and +35.75 to a £1 stake over 113 rides — a record the market has persistently underpriced. Matthew J Smith supplies 28% of the rides and matches the rider's average almost exactly (9.1%, A/E 1.11) — the partnership beats the margin-free market read. The record reads poorly in Class 1 — 0% over 30 rides, 8.8pts below the baseline. The market has consistently overbet the rider on Good to Soft going: Fair A/E 0.25 across 123 rides (1.6% strike, −107.00 to a £1 stake) — runners there underperform what the price implies. Seasonally, the rider fires Nov–Dec.

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

Riding patterns

the angles behind the record · vs 8.8% baseline
First ride on the horse · first captured pairing
9.1%+0.3
n=243 · A/E 1.26 · £1 −24.68
Last-time-out winners · previous run was a win
15.9%+7.1
n=44 · A/E 1.12 · £1 −6.76
Fresh horses · 61+ days off
8.8%+0.0
n=113 · A/E 1.51 · £1 +35.75
When favourite
37.5%
n=32 · A/E 1.62 · £1 +11.03
Claiming rides · riding with a claim
8.9%+0.1
n=538 · A/E 1.13 · £1 −107.40
Big fields · 14+ runners
7.5%−1.3
n=305 · A/E 1.32 · £1 −31.25
Group / Graded races · pattern & listed
0%−8.8
n=25 · A/E 0.00 · £1 −25.00

Each tile is the record in that situation vs the 8.8% baseline — descriptive splits with the sample always shown, for you to weigh. 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
On Good to Soft going 1.6% vs 8.8% · n=123
At Fairyhouse 0% vs 8.8% · n=50
At Kilbeggan 0% vs 8.8% · n=33
In Class 1 0% vs 8.8% · n=30
With C&D winners 16.7% vs 8.8% · n=36
With Thomas Gibney 1.9% vs 8.8% · n=52
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 446 41 9.2% −58.90
Chase 108 8 7.4% −43.50
NH Flat 4 0 0% −4.00

Going

GoingRWSR£1
Good 213 23 10.8% −53.14
Soft 165 20 12.1% +15.74
Good to Soft 123 2 1.6% −107.00
Heavy 56 4 7.1% +39.00
Good to Firm 1 0 0% −1.00

Courses

CourseRWSR£1
Punchestown 55 2 3.6% −46.00
Fairyhouse 50 0 0% −50.00
Downpatrick 47 6 12.8% −7.00
Galway 35 2 5.7% +1.00
Kilbeggan 33 0 0% −33.00
Down Royal 27 5 18.5% +15.62
Cork 24 1 4.2% −22.17
Navan 22 4 18.2% +62.62
Ballinrobe 21 0 0% −21.00
Sligo 21 5 23.8% +15.58
Limerick 20 1 5% −15.50
Clonmel 20 3 15% +9.08
Listowel 18 4 22.2% +38.00
Roscommon 15 1 6.7% −12.38
Naas 15 0 0% −15.00

Class

ClassRWSR£1
Class 1 30 0 0% −30.00
Class 4 18 2 11.1% −4.00
Class 5 8 2 25% +11.50
Class 2 6 0 0% −6.00
Class 3 5 1 20% +1.00
Class 6 1 0 0% −1.00

Market position

In the bettingRWSRA/E£1
Favourite 43 14 32.6% 1.46 +9.03
2nd–3rd fav 108 15 13.9% 0.97 −28.93
4th–6th fav 151 10 6.6% 0.90 −41.50
7th+ in betting 256 10 3.9% 1.29 −45.00
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
86.5% completed · 554 obstacle rides (chases & hurdles)
CodeRCompFURPUBDOth
Chase 108 85.2% 2 4 9 1 0
Hurdle 446 86.8% 10 8 38 2 1
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
Moonovercloon (IRE) 22 2 10 14 Oct 25
Cozone (GB) 20 4 9 31 Aug 26
Another Choice (IRE) 17 1 4 29 Sep 25
Aine's Lad (IRE) 12 1 4 21 Feb 26
Son Of Hypnos (IRE) 12 2 3 11 Aug 25
Born Bright (IRE) 10 3 4 3 Oct 26
Dartan (GB) 10 2 4 11 Jul 25
Bigz Belief (IRE) 10 1 1 6 Aug 24
Ragin Cajun (IRE) 9 1 1 21 Nov 24
Rockstown Girl (IRE) 8 1 5 22 Oct 26
Leave In Secret (IRE) 7 0 3 25 Oct 26
Napper Tandy (GB) 7 1 5 17 Nov 24
Showing the 60 most-raced of the 243 horses ridden in this window — each ran at least 2 times. 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.

Current form

significance-gated

Last 14 days

Small sample
0 from 9
Only 9 rides in the last 14 days — too few to read against the baseline (gate: n≥15). The card states the sample and stays neutral.

By month

strike by month, lifetime
JFMAMJJASOND
091894101151161019
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 yardMatthew J Smith
28% of all rides
9.1% SR · A/E 1.11
TrainerRWSR£1
Matthew J Smith 154 14 9.1% −39.42
Gordon Elliott 74 8 10.8% −21.18
Thomas Gibney 52 1 1.9% −48.00
Ian Patrick Donoghue 49 6 12.2% +50.50
Ms Claire O'Connell 37 3 8.1% −10.50
A. McCann 32 3 9.4% +0.83
Brian M McMahon 31 3 9.7% −8.50
Muted rows are under 30 rides and sit behind "Show all".

Career highlights

lifetime archive, 2010→
49
Archived wins
£742k
Prize money
2026
Best season · 13 wins
Dunboyne (IRE) — Randox Ulster National Handicap Chase Downpatrick · Mar 2025
£29,500
Jigoro (FR) — Holden Plant Rentals Shamrock Handicap Chase Gowran Park · Mar 2026
£26,505
Themanintheboots (IRE) — Lisadell Equine Hospital 110 Series Final Handicap Hurdle Navan · Nov 2025
£14,750
Notable horses
Cozone (GB) Born Bright (IRE) Moonovercloon (IRE) Son Of Hypnos (IRE) Dartan (GB) St Denis's Well (IRE)

Sires of the horses ridden

progeny record · win % by ground and trip
Kalanisi (IRE) 14.6% · 6–41
Progeny have won 10.5% of 6,753 runs since 2008 (648 horses). Strongest on Good to Firm going: 16.1% from 355.
Hillstar (GB) 9.1% · 2–22
Progeny have won 7.3% of 756 runs since 2021 (89 horses).
Pour Moi (IRE) 22.7% · 5–22
Progeny have won 9.8% of 2,701 runs since 2015 (266 horses). Weakest over 1m – 1m1f (all codes): 6.8% from 380.
Sea Moon (GB) 9.1% · 2–22
Progeny have won 11.5% of 608 runs since 2020 (66 horses). Strongest on Good going: 15.7% from 242. Weakest on Soft going: 7.1% from 170. Weakest over 1m5f – 2m (all codes): 8.4% from 166.
Mount Nelson (GB) 5.9% · 1–17
Progeny have won 10% of 6,287 runs since 2012 (538 horses).
Famous Name (GB) 15.4% · 2–13
Progeny have won 9.2% of 1,514 runs since 2016 (102 horses).
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 12 Nov 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 558 · newest first

The latest 50 of 558 archived rides, newest first. The full record runs from 2 March 2010 to 9 November 2026.

DateCourseHorseRaceFinishSP
09 Nov 26 Punchestown (IRE) Surrey Force (FR)T: Thomas Gibney Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Hurdle20.5f · Good To Yielding · 22 ran 16th 50/1
09 Nov 26 Punchestown (IRE) Ella's Gold (IRE)T: Matthew J Smith Matchbook 50/50 Series 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle16f · Good To Yielding · 10 ran 4th 18/1
07 Nov 26 Gowran Park (IRE) Minella Post (GB)T: Thomas Gibney Gerry Comerford Drilling Beginners Steeplechase20f · Good · 10 ran 4th 6/1
05 Nov 26 Clonmel (IRE) S T Hamo (IRE)T: A. McCann Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction & Median Maiden Hurdle16.5f · Good · 11 ran 3rd 7/1
03 Nov 26 Fairyhouse (IRE) Blackjack Hills (IRE)T: Matthew J Smith Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle16f · Good To Yielding · 15 ran 10th 50/1
03 Nov 26 Fairyhouse (IRE) Ella's Gold (IRE)T: Matthew J Smith Winter Festival 28th & 29th November 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle16f · Good To Yielding · 13 ran 6th 14/1
31 Oct 26 Down Royal (IRE) Abando (GER)T: A. McCann Lough Construction Maiden Hurdle17f · Good · 12 ran 2nd 9/1
30 Oct 26 Down Royal (IRE) Mercury Mission (GB)T: P Cluskey Metcollect Handicap Steeplechase16.5f · Good To Yielding · 9 ran 7th 25/1
30 Oct 26 Down Royal (IRE) Tara Boe (IRE)T: A. McCann Eventsec Handicap Hurdle24.5f · Good To Yielding · 20 ran 17th 33/1
26 Oct 26 Galway (IRE) Grace Faraday (IRE)T: A. McCann COLM QUINN BMW Handicap Hurdle24f · Heavy · 19 ran PU 13/2
25 Oct 26 Galway (IRE) Leave In Secret (IRE)T: Thomas Gibney Brasserie On The Corner Handicap Steeplechase18f · Soft To Heavy · 13 ran 6th 10/1
23 Oct 26 Sligo (IRE) Oh So Charming (GB)T: P Cluskey Callan Tansey Handicap Hurdle (Div II)17.5f · Yielding · 13 ran 5th 14/1
22 Oct 26 Clonmel (IRE) Rockstown Girl (IRE)T: A. McCann Clonmel Oil Chase Day November 5th Handicap Steeplechase21f · Good · 15 ran PU 14/1
22 Oct 26 Clonmel (IRE) Cala Gracioneta (IRE)T: Matthew J Smith Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle20f · Good To Yielding · 12 ran 6th 11/1
17 Oct 26 Limerick (IRE) Del Boys Diva (IRE)T: Shane Crawley Master Chefs Handicap Hurdle17f · Good To Yielding · 15 ran 8th 16/1
17 Oct 26 Limerick (IRE) Thats It Ruby (IRE)T: Ian Patrick Donoghue Follow Us On Instagram Maiden Hurdle17f · Yielding · 16 ran 9th 125/1
13 Oct 26 Punchestown (IRE) Leo Messy (IRE)T: Thomas Gibney William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle (Div II)20f · Good · 17 ran 10th 4/1
13 Oct 26 Punchestown (IRE) Bossy Bird (IRE)T: Thomas Gibney William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle (Div I)20f · Good · 15 ran 3rd 9/2
13 Oct 26 Punchestown (IRE) Cala Gracioneta (IRE)T: Matthew J Smith William Hill Challenge Series Maiden Hurdle20f · Good · 13 ran 5th 15/2
11 Oct 26 Cork (IRE) Martymill (IRE)T: A. McCann Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction & Median Maiden Hurdle20.5f · Good · 7 ran 1st 5/6F

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).

KTB’s figures

the forward record · since 5 Oct 2026

KTB’s figures on this rider’s mounts since 5 Oct 2026: the KTB Selection in 5 runs (won 0) · top-rated on KTB Rating in 3 runs (won 1) · fastest on KTB Speed in 4 runs (won 1) · to 7 Nov 2026.

Each pick was a KTB figure’s choice before the off — the published KTB Selection, the top-rated horse on KTB Rating, the fastest on KTB Speed — settled against the result the next morning and never worked out again; “did not run” is counted apart. GB and Irish races only. A record of weeks so far: read it as a count, not a verdict.

Quick answers

What is James Smith's strike rate?
James Smith has won 49 of 558 rides since 2008, a strike rate of 8.8% (as at 12 November 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.
Which course does James Smith do best at?
Downpatrick by strike rate: 6 wins from 47 rides (12.8%) 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 Smith ride most for?
Matthew J Smith, with 154 rides since 2008 — 28% of the total. That pairing has won 14 (9.1%).
Is James Smith in form?
Too few rides in the last 14 days to read — 9 rides, which is not a sample we will draw a conclusion from.
What is James Smith's Fair A/E?
1.12, from 558 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.
Fair A/E compares wins with a margin-stripped market expectation. Favourite-heavy samples — top yards, leading riders — naturally read a few points warm, so 1.05 means "beat the margin-free market read", not "the market underrates this by 5%". Three sample sizes are reported and never blended: runs (n), the ROI basis (n at SP), and the fair-A/E basis (n with a computed fair probability).

Strike rate is wins over all runs (n). ROI is £1 level stakes at SP over runs with a parseable price (n at SP). Fair A/E is wins over margin-stripped market expectation, over runs with a computed fair probability (n fair). The three Ns can legitimately differ and are always shown. Figures as at 12 November 2026, computed from our own results archive (2005 onwards; aggregates from 2008).