The recent form makes for interesting reading. Finishing third and then fourth twice in the last six races suggests Steel Magnolia is running consistently and finding its level, even if the winning post keeps arriving a fraction too soon. A sixth and an eighth earlier in that sequence were the low points, but the horse has clearly come back from those and run well, which says something about its attitude.
Nathan Crosse has partnered Steel Magnolia five times without a win, so that partnership is still searching for its moment. Trainer W McCreery, based at Rathbride in Co Kildare, is having a productive season with 21 winners on the board, which tells you this is a yard that knows how to get horses ready to win. Steel Magnolia simply hasn't joined that list yet — but being trained by a yard in that kind of form is no bad place to be. McCreery clearly has the horses running well, and at some point Steel Magnolia may take its turn.
What keeps this story alive is that the horse raced just one day ago and is still very much in the thick of things. This is not a horse drifting to the fringes — it is active, it is placing, and patience from the team has not run out. For followers of W McCreery's yard, Steel Magnolia is one to keep an eye on: the pieces are nearly in place, and in racing, nearly is often just a matter of time.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk Galloping |
4 | 4 other | 17 Dec | 0% |
| Bellewstown Sharp |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 11 Apr | 0% |
| The Curragh Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 16 Oct | 0% |
| Gowran Park Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 16 Apr | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 22 Oct | 0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 20 Jun | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 24 Apr | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 19 May | 0% |