Morning Approach

The most recent win came at Dundalk back in December 2024 — nearly 19 months ago now — and the current run of six races without a win has produced finishes of 11th, 12th, 11th, 5th, 14th, and 6th. That fifth-place finish in the middle of the sequence is the one glimmer, though it is hardly cause for celebration. The honest assessment is that Morning Approach is in a difficult spell, and there is no immediate sign of a way out of it.

The horse does have a clear preference for normal ground conditions, and that is where the numbers look most encouraging in relative terms: 2 wins from 22 races on a standard surface, which works out at around 9% — nearly double the overall career average. It is a small but real edge that W McCreery's yard at Rathbride will be aware of when planning its next assignment. That yard has sent out 19 winners this season, so the operation clearly knows how to get horses competitive. Morning Approach simply hasn't been one of the beneficiaries lately.

Regular partner Nathan Crosse has ridden the horse in 25 of those 59 races, winning once together — a rate of 4%, fractionally below even the career average. It is a well-established partnership without a great deal to show for it statistically. The first career win came at Leopardstown in June 2022, which feels like a different era now. At eight, with form figures that read 11-12-11-5-14-6, Morning Approach is a horse asking its trainer some awkward questions. The fact it raced just yesterday confirms it remains active and in the mix — the story is still being written, even if the recent chapters have been quiet ones.