Model Approach

The career really only got going in October 2024, when Model Approach broke through for a first win at Sedgefield. Since then the progression has been real. The last six races read: a win, a third, a sixth, a seventh, a twelfth, and one unplaced run before that — and reading those in reverse order, the direction of travel is clearly upward. Three wins and seven placed efforts from 25 races also tells you this is a horse that competes honestly. It does not win every week, but it turns up and runs its race.

The conditions matter here. On normal ground, Model Approach has won 3 times from 16 races — that is just under 1 in 5, which is a genuinely strong record at this level. Take it off that surface and the form fades. Similarly, the horse does its best work over longer trips of two miles or more, winning 2 of its 10 races at those distances, or 1 in every 5. Both of those statistics point to a horse with a clear profile — train it for a dry-ground, staying test and it becomes a real contender.

One curiosity is the partnership with Isabel Williams, who has ridden the horse five times without a win. Given that the trainer shares the Williams name, there is likely a family connection at work here, and it is not unusual for a yard jockey to keep the ride through a lean spell. Whether that combination eventually clicks will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow. For now, Mrs C Williams has sent out 3 winners this season from her Welsh base, and with Model Approach bang in form and racing yesterday, this small yard is making a quiet but genuine noise.