The jump jockeys whose handicap rides are less likely to get stuck in the mud

Soft-ground specialists are in their element in winter when the going is often at its most testing. At this time of year horses who act on softer going, and the trainers whose horses seem to thrive when conditions are slower, get plenty of exposure in these pages, but rarely is much written about the jockeys who appear to shine in races on ground at the softer end of the scale.

Last month at Cheltenham we witnessed a thrilling climax to the Greatwood Hurdle, run on soft and won by Elgin under Wayne Hutchinson. Elgin and the Tom Scudamore-ridden Misterton fought a protracted battle to the finish, with Elgin finding extra close home to hold off a rallying Misterton.

Scudamore made most of the running and rode at a pace that meant his mount could draw on energy stores in the finish. He may also have been mindful of how horses with ground to make up can struggle to bridge gaps in testing conditions.