Nod Of Approval

The recent form makes for interesting reading. A run just yesterday keeps Nod Of Approval firmly in the picture as an active racer, and that second-place finish sitting in the middle of the record suggests there is ability here worth nurturing. The string of eleventh-place finishes either side of it, however, shows the inconsistency that defines this stage of the horse's career. At three years old, that is not unusual — young horses are still figuring things out, and plenty of slow burners have gone on to win races once the penny finally drops.

What gives genuine cause for optimism is the stable behind this horse. Mrs John Harrington, training out of Moone in County Kildare, has sent out 58 winners already this season — a yard clearly operating at a high level, with the know-how to get horses performing. When a yard of that quality keeps running a horse, it usually means they believe there is a win waiting to happen. The question for Nod Of Approval is simply when.