Three Irish Trainers with a good January record: 'He boasts his strongest strike-rate at 18.52 per cent' The month of January can be a testing one for many but, for jumps trainers, it's a key time of year as the season begins to really heat up. The Dublin Racing Festival is in sight and, from there, the other major spring meetings at Cheltenham, Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown soon follow. We're looking to identify three Irish trainers that typically do well in the month of January. Joseph O'Brien Trainer Joseph O'Brien has been operating since 2015 on his own and, through that time, the opening month of the year is one in which he boasts his strongest strike-rate at 18.52 per cent with 75 winners from just over 400 runners. The dual-purpose handler offers up runners in both codes but his focus in the opening month of the year can often be on Dundalk and the all-weather meetings there. The promising maiden winner Goldinthesea provided O'Brien with his first winner on the Polytrack last Friday, powering clear late on to score under Scott McCullagh. O'Brien has five contenders looming for Tuesday's card at Dundalk while they race again on Friday night. Willie Mullins Find a month where Willie Mullins struggles, right? That could be true but the Closutton powerhouse typically fares well in January, with a historical strike-rate of just under 30 per cent as he has saddled nearly 500 January winners in his career. This season has been a test for the champion trainer of Britain and Ireland, with his horses taking some time to find full stride. The major festivals are now looming. The DRF has become a Mullins plaything of sorts and the opening day this year falls in January for the first time. The Thyestes Chase also lurks before month-end at Mullins' home track in Gowran Park and there is little doubt that is a meeting he likes to focus on, with a record ten wins in the feature race. Famously, Nick Rockett bagged the Thyestes 12 months ago before going on to bag the Grand National at Aintree in the spring. Gavin Cromwell It hasn't been the season Gavin Cromwell wanted so far, as the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer hasn't enjoyed his usual level of success. It would be no shock, however, should things begin to improve for Cromwell in the second half of this season and January is a month that has been good to him in the past. His 11.61 per cent strike-rate — achieved with 57 winners from 491 starters — is bettered only by his strike-rates in the months of October and July. Cromwell began this week without a January winner but he could be hopeful of altering that stat at Fairyhouse on Wednesday when the rescheduled Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase takes place at Fairyhouse. His yard enjoyed a 1-2-3 in that contest 12 months ago and the likes of winner The King Of Prs and placed pair Path D'oroux and Midnight It Is are set to have another crack at the €60,000 prize now.
