Nod Of Approval

The recent form tells a familiar story: a second-place finish most recently, a fifth, then a seventh, with another pair of placings scattered in among runs that did not yield anything to show. Over the last six races, the horse has placed twice and finished out of the frame four times. There is a pattern here of occasional competitiveness — the runner-up finish came just 1 days ago — but nothing approaching the consistency needed to win a race.

Mrs John Harrington trains from Moone in Co Kildare and has sent out 53 winners this season, so the yard is clearly operating at a respectable level. Whether Nod Of Approval will be the one to break through for a first win remains to be seen. At three years old, there is still time for improvement, but after 11 attempts the clock is ticking. The horse is clearly running regularly and remains active, which suggests the trainer believes there is more to come.