Skip to content
Trainer profile

Linda Blackford

482 runners in the lifetime window · 53 individual horses
As at 15 Nov 2026 · KTB archive: 2005–present, updated daily
Last runner 11 days ago 100% of runners over jumps
Last 5 seasons Lifetime (2008→)
from 1 Jan 2008 — the aggregate floor: every horse in the window has a complete captured career behind it
19–482
Wins / Runs
3.9%
Strike rate
n=482
87 (18%)
Placed
0.66
Fair A/E
n=482 · 0.56 incl. margin
−311.12
£1 level stake
n=482 at SP · −64.5%
£153k
Prize money (window)
Strike by season
6.7%
KTB Yard Profile

Sends out around 30 runners a season, almost all over hurdles and fences, winning with 4% of them — a touch below the margin-free market read across the lifetime window (Fair A/E 0.66).

Deterministic profile computed from 482 archived runs (lifetime window) · updated 15 Nov 2026
KTB at a glance Sean Houlihan: 2.1% from 96 Claiming riders: 4.7%
The read

The market has consistently overbet horses returning fresh after 61+ days: 3.3% strike, Fair A/E 0.70 and −69.00 to a £1 stake over 122 runners — those runners underperform what the price implies. Sean Houlihan rides 20% of the entries and matches the yard's average almost exactly (2.1%, A/E 0.40). The yard also reads well on Heavy going (7.4%, n=54) and off a 8-14-day break (7.5%, n=40). The market has consistently overbet the yard on Good to Soft going: Fair A/E 0.26 across 91 runners (1.1% strike, −57.00 to a £1 stake) — runners there underperform what the price implies.

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

Yard patterns

the angles behind the record · vs 3.9% baseline
Fresh · 61+ days off
3.3%−0.6
n=122 · A/E 0.70 · £1 −69.00
New recruits · first run for the yard
0%−3.9
n=14 · A/E 0.00 · £1 −14.00
Debutants · first career start
2.9%−1.0
n=35 · A/E 0.75 · £1 −25.00
First-time headgear · true-first definition
0%−3.9
n=16 · A/E 0.00 · £1 −16.00
Headgear returns · back on after a bare run
6.7%+2.8
n=15 · A/E 1.55 · £1 −2.00
When favourite
33.3%
n=12 · A/E 1.28 · £1 −0.87
Claiming riders · a claimer in the saddle
4.7%+0.8
n=235 · A/E 0.88 · £1 −114.87
Group / Graded races · pattern & listed
0%−3.9
n=1 · A/E 0.00 · £1 −1.00

Each tile is the record in that situation vs the 3.9% baseline — descriptive splits with the sample always shown, for you to weigh. Tiles under 30 runs render muted. Headgear figures use the true-first definition (first gear appearance in the captured career); returns are gear back on after a bare run. Claiming riders are runs where the booked rider carried a weight claim. Group / Graded covers pattern and listed races. The same beliefs, tested across every yard and every GB and Irish race since 2005: Racing myths.

Notable angles

vs their own baseline
With Mr Conor Smith 7.6% vs 3.9% · n=92
On Heavy going 7.4% vs 3.9% · n=54
Off a 8-14-day break 7.5% vs 3.9% · n=40
On Good to Soft going 1.1% vs 3.9% · n=91
At Taunton 6.7% vs 3.9% · n=45
On Soft going 1.5% vs 3.9% · n=66
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 275 10 3.6% −166.37
Chase 143 7 4.9% −94.75
NH Flat 64 2 3.1% −50.00

Going

GoingRWSR£1
Good 199 9 4.5% −147.25
Good to Soft 91 1 1.1% −57.00
Good to Firm 67 2 3% −51.12
Soft 66 1 1.5% −45.00
Heavy 54 4 7.4% −25.75
Firm 5 2 40% +15.00

Courses

CourseRWSR£1
Exeter 93 4 4.3% −44.00
Wincanton 91 4 4.4% −62.12
Newton Abbot 89 3 3.4% −61.50
Taunton 45 3 6.7% −22.00
Chepstow 44 2 4.5% −29.00
Ffos Las 31 1 3.2% −10.00
Worcester 25 0 0% −25.00
Stratford 19 0 0% −19.00
Warwick 12 1 8.3% −8.75
Uttoxeter 7 1 14.3% −3.75
Hereford 5 0 0% −5.00
Ludlow 4 0 0% −4.00
Towcester 3 0 0% −3.00
Leicester 3 0 0% −3.00
Fontwell 3 0 0% −3.00

Class

ClassRWSR£1
Class 5 255 11 4.3% −134.75
Class 4 175 6 3.4% −138.37
Class 6 38 2 5.3% −24.00
Class 3 12 0 0% −12.00
Class 1 2 0 0% −2.00

Market position

In the bettingRWSRA/E£1
Favourite 17 5 29.4% 1.26 −1.87
2nd–3rd fav 57 4 7% 0.46 −39.25
4th–6th fav 137 5 3.6% 0.52 −89.00
7th+ in betting 271 5 1.8% 0.76 −181.00
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
74.2% completed · 418 obstacle runners (chases & hurdles)
CodeRCompFURPUBDOth
Chase 143 66.4% 4 7 37 0 0
Hurdle 275 78.2% 11 4 43 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 trained

same window as header · most-raced first
HorseRWPlLast ran
Poet's Reflection (IRE) 35 1 6 7 Apr 26
Mountain Of Mourne (IRE) 35 2 9 7 May 19
Prince Rhinegold (IRE) 23 1 3 3 Nov 26
Steel Express (IRE)then M J Vanstone 23 1 6 3 Mar 20
Rangatira Jack (GB) 22 2 6 4 Nov 26
Kayf Charmer (GB)from Stuart Howe 22 4 9 20 Dec 18
Louis Phillipe (IRE) 22 3 11 31 Jul 17
Always Cruising (USA)from Mark Johnston 19 2 2 23 Oct 11
Thats Yer Man (IRE) 17 0 5 14 Aug 19
Chance Encounter (IRE) 17 2 10 9 Apr 15
Shades Of Autumn (IRE) 16 0 3 22 Sep 15
Lure Des Pres (IRE) 15 0 2 17 Jul 22
All 53 horses sent out in this window. 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.
Where they came from · where they went next

Of the 53 horses listed, 15 arrived from another yard in our archive, most often from M J Vanstone (3) and Mark Johnston (2); 38 had their first archived run for this yard.

4 have since run for another yard; 49 have no later run for another yard in our archive.

Read from each listed horse's whole archived career (2005 onwards), not only this window, and counted over the horses listed above, not the whole string. “First archived run” means our archive holds nothing earlier, not that the horse was unraced. A horse with no later run elsewhere may still be here, be off the track, or have run somewhere our archive does not cover — none of that is asserted.

Current form

significance-gated

Last 14 days

Small sample
0 from 2
Only 2 runners in the last 14 days — too few to read against the baseline (gate: n≥15). The card states the sample and stays neutral.

When the yard fires

strike by month, lifetime
JFMAMJJASOND
0348300800410
A jumps yard: the season runs Oct–Apr. Muted months are small samples (under 30 runs) — read them with the caution they deserve.

Jockey bookings

same window · biggest samples first
Go-to riderSean Houlihan
20% of all rides
2.1% SR · A/E 0.40
RiderRWSR£1
Sean Houlihan 96 2 2.1% −82.75
Mr Conor Smith 92 7 7.6% −4.75
James Best 62 2 3.2% −47.50
Muted rows are under 30 rides and sit behind "Show all".

Career highlights

lifetime archive, 2006→
20
Archived wins
£154k
Prize money
2016
Best season · 5 wins
This card is the full archive census (2005→); the statistics in the header aggregate from 2008 — the floor that guarantees every horse a complete captured career — so this card can legitimately show more wins than the header.
Louis Phillipe (IRE) — Pkf Francis Clark Handicap Chase Newton Abbot · Aug 2016 · Class 4
£6,498
Rangatira Jack (GB) — Mane Event: Logicor Cup Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Warwick · May 2026 · Class 4
£5,809
Prince Rhinegold (IRE) — Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) Exeter · Feb 2023 · Class 4
£4,901
Notable horses
Kayf Charmer (GB) Louis Phillipe (IRE) Mountain Of Mourne (IRE) Rangatira Jack (GB) Always Cruising (USA) Chance Encounter (IRE)

Sires in the string

progeny record · win % by ground and trip
Mountain High (IRE) 4.5% · 2–44
Progeny have won 9.5% of 2,246 runs since 2011 (184 horses).
Dylan Thomas (IRE) 2.9% · 1–35
Progeny have won 10.5% of 7,499 runs since 2011 (533 horses). Strongest at trips under 6f (all codes): 17.7% from 192.
Anshan (GB) 6.1% · 2–33
Progeny have won 9.6% of 4,216 runs since 2008 (387 horses). Strongest on Good to Firm going: 14.2% from 520.
Craigsteel (GB) 3.3% · 1–30
Progeny have won 10.1% of 3,393 runs since 2008 (262 horses). Strongest beyond 3m (all codes): 15.5% from 291. Weakest over 1m5f – 2m (all codes): 6.9% from 763.
Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) 7.4% · 2–27
Progeny have won 8.4% of 681 runs since 2008 (61 horses). Weakest on Good going: 3.2% from 157. Strongest over 1m – 1m1f (all codes): 11.4% from 140.
Getaway (GER) 4.3% · 1–23
Progeny have won 11.3% of 11,056 runs since 2016 (1,035 horses). Strongest on Good to Firm going: 23.1% from 134.
Top line: the yard'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 15 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 500 · newest first

The latest 50 of 500 archived runners, newest first. The full record runs from 15 February 2006 to 4 November 2026.

DateCourseHorseRaceFinishSP
04 Nov 26 Chepstow Rangatira Jack (GB)J: Sean Houlihan DragonBet Handicap Steeple Chase (GBB Race)Class 4 · 19.5f · Good · 8 ran F 6/1
03 Nov 26 Warwick Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: Jack Stenhouse Alder Demain & Akers Handicap Hurdle RaceClass 5 · 16f · Good · 11 ran RO 28/1
20 May 26 Warwick Rangatira Jack (GB)J: Sean Houlihan Mane Event: Logicor Cup Handicap Chase (GBB Race)Class 4 · 20f · Good · 3 ran 1st 9/4
05 May 26 Ffos Las Rangatira Jack (GB)J: James Best Adept GRP Cabinets Handicap ChaseClass 5 · 21.5f · Good · 7 ran 2nd 10/1
05 May 26 Ffos Las Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: James Best Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 16f · Good · 12 ran 5th 12/1
17 Apr 26 Exeter Rangatira Jack (GB)J: James Best New Inn, Alphington, Exeter Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 18.5f · Good · 10 ran 4th 4/1J
12 Apr 26 Wincanton Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: Bryan Carver Visit Bridles Care Home Wincanton Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 15f · Good · 8 ran 4th 8/1
07 Apr 26 Exeter Poet's Reflection (IRE)J: Mr Jack Stenhouse It Pays To Buy Irish Novices' Handicap ChaseClass 5 · 19f · Good · 10 ran 7th 50/1
01 Apr 26 Wincanton Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: Sean Houlihan Bridles New Luxury Care Home Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 20f · Good · 11 ran 9th 7/1
01 Apr 26 Wincanton Rangatira Jack (GB)J: Sean Houlihan Bridles Care Home In Wincanton Handicap ChaseClass 5 · 20f · Good · 7 ran 7th 7/1
24 Mar 26 Taunton Poet's Reflection (IRE)J: James Best Experience The Thrill With HotToTrot Racing Mares' Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 24f · Good · 10 ran 7th 100/1
06 Mar 26 Exeter Poet's Reflection (IRE)J: James Best Ludo Sports And Live Lounge Mares' Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 18.5f · Good To Soft · 11 ran 9th 50/1
06 Mar 26 Exeter Rangatira Jack (GB)J: Sean Houlihan Klargester Handicap ChaseClass 5 · 19f · Good To Soft · 11 ran 6th 11/2
05 Mar 26 Wincanton Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: Sean Houlihan Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 15f · Good To Soft · 12 ran 2nd 7/1
17 Jan 26 Taunton Poet's Reflection (IRE)J: James Best 3 February Sporting Clubs Raceday Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 19f · Good To Soft · 13 ran 13th 125/1
26 Dec 25 Wincanton Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: Sean Houlihan Download The PricedUp App Handicap HurdleClass 4 · 15f · Good To Soft · 12 ran 5th 16/1
18 Dec 25 Exeter Rangatira Jack (GB)J: Sean Houlihan Download The PricedUp App Handicap ChaseClass 5 · 19f · Heavy · 9 ran PU 6/1
27 Nov 25 Taunton Poet's Reflection (IRE)J: James Best Elizabeth Trebble Handicap HurdleClass 5 · 19f · Good To Firm · 13 ran PU 66/1
20 Nov 25 Wincanton Prince Rhinegold (IRE)J: Sean Houlihan PricedUp Daily Racing Boosts Handicap Hurdle (Div 1)Class 5 · 15f · Good · 9 ran 2nd 7/1
20 Nov 25 Wincanton Rangatira Jack (GB)J: Sean Houlihan PricedUp The Jumps Novices' Handicap Chase (GBB Race)Class 4 · 15.5f · Good · 8 ran 6th 18/1

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 Linda Blackford's strike rate?
Linda Blackford has won 19 of 482 runners since 2008, a strike rate of 3.9% (as at 15 November 2026). Figures are computed from our own results archive.
Which course does Linda Blackford do best at?
Taunton by strike rate: 3 wins from 45 runners (6.7%) since 2008. Read from the 15 courses with the most runners 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.
Who rides most for Linda Blackford?
Sean Houlihan, with 96 runners since 2008 — 20% of the total. That pairing has won 2 (2.1%).
Is Linda Blackford in form?
Too few runners in the last 14 days to read — 2 runners, which is not a sample we will draw a conclusion from.
What is Linda Blackford's Fair A/E?
0.66, from 482 runners 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 15 November 2026, computed from our own results archive (2005 onwards; aggregates from 2008).