Cooper had several prominent owners at his yard, including Colonel Peel, the Earl of Strafford, General Yates, Captain Gardnor and, in later years, Mr. Payne, Mr. Greville, Lord Chesterfield and Lord Glasgow, so Flatman was well placed to ride winners. Yet, despite the profile and wealth of some of these patrons, Flatman never took a retainer from Cooper during his time at the yard and took no more than 20 per annum from Colonel Peel. He was, however, a remarkably loyal jockey. It was said that "never was there a more faithful or honest servant than Flatman proved himself to all his employers."