Morning Suit

That solitary win came at Lingfield Park on 25 November 2023, now 29 months ago. Lingfield is an artificial all-weather track that suits certain horses down to the ground — horses that find their rhythm on a consistent, predictable surface. Morning Suit found something there that day, but has not been able to replicate it since. The team at Phil McEntee's Newmarket yard has sent out 18 winners this season, so the operation is clearly capable of getting horses in front — Morning Suit just has not been one of them.

The distances where Morning Suit has shown the most are the short, sharp sprint trips between five furlongs and six and a half furlongs — tight, intense races decided in under 80 seconds. In nine races at those trips, there has been one win, roughly 1 in 9, which at least shows the horse is better suited here than anywhere else. Most of those runs have come at Class 5 level, which is towards the lower end of the British racing ladder, where the competition is more accessible. Even there, the best record is 1 win from 8 races.

Jockey Grace McEntee — Phil's daughter — has ridden the horse five times without a win. That is a combination that clearly means something to the yard, even if results have not followed. Racing regularly and as recently as yesterday, Morning Suit remains an active, willing participant. Whether another moment like Lingfield in November 2023 is still out there is the question that keeps the yard — the team, at least — coming back.