If you are looking for a trainer in form, M A Burton is hard to ignore right now. A 38.7% win strike rate from 31 runners over the last three months is the kind of number that makes you sit up and take notice, and today sees two of the yard's charges heading to Towcester.
Twelve winners from 31 runners is a seriously impressive return. To put that in context, most trainers operate at somewhere between 15 and 25 per cent, so Burton is comfortably outperforming the norm. Those 12 wins have been backed up by two additional places, giving an overall place rate of 45% when you factor everything in. This is a kennel that has its dogs fit, happy and running to their marks.
Today's two runners both line up in OR1 company over 500m at Towcester, which tells you the quality of dog Burton is working with. Magical Hawk goes in the 16:09 from trap three and will be one of the early fancies for punters who follow trainer form. Later on the card, Droopys Fearless lines up in the 16:28 from trap six. The outside draw is not always ideal at Towcester, but Burton's dogs tend to know what they are doing and the kennels runners have been finishing their races strongly of late.
What stands out about Burton's recent numbers is the consistency. This is not a case of one or two big-priced winners inflating the figures. The wins have been spread across different tracks and distances, suggesting the whole kennel is ticking along nicely. When a trainer hits this kind of form, it often continues for a good while because it reflects the general health and fitness of the string rather than one standout performer.
Both Towcester runners today deserve respect, and if you are building any multiples, having a Burton runner on your side feels like a smart move right now.