Dawn Approach

Dawn Approach
Dawn Approach after winning the Dewhurst Stakes in 2012.
Sire	New Approach
Grandsire	Galileo
Dam	Hymn of the Dawn
Damsire	Phone Trick
Sex	Colt
Foaled	23 April 2010
Country	Ireland
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Jim Bolger
Owner	Mrs J. S. Bolger Godolphin
Trainer	Jim Bolger
Record	12: 8-1-0
Earnings	£926,780
Major wins
Coventry Stakes (2012) Vincent O'Brien Stakes (2012) Dewhurst Stakes (2012) 2000 Guineas (2013) St. James's Palace Stakes (2013)
Awards
European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (2012) Top-rated European two-year-old colt (2012)

Dawn Approach (foaled 23 April 2010) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which began in March 2012 the colt has won all seven of his races including the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, the National Stakes at the Curragh and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. He ended the 2012 European season as the year's most highly rated two-year-old colt and was regarded as a leading contender for the 2013 classics. As a three-year-old, Dawn Approach won the classic 2000 Guineas on his first appearance, going on to win the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Dawn Approach is a chestnut colt with a white blaze and a long white sock on his right hind leg. He was bred by the Irish trainer Jim Bolger, and in the early part of his career he carried the colours of Bolger's wife, Jackie, who owned the horse in partnership with J. P. Spain. Dawn Approach is from the first crop of foals sired by New Approach a horse which won four Group One races including the Epsom Derby, and was the equal highest-rated Thoroughbred in the world when trained by Bolger in 2008. His dam, Hymn of the Dawn, was bred in the United States and was an unsuccessful racehorse in five starts, with her best effort a fourth place in the 2001 European Breeders Fund Maiden.

Like his sire, Dawn Approach was trained by Bolger in County Carlow and ridden in all of his races by Kevin Manning.

Dawn Approach began his racing career unusually early, running at the Curragh in March, more than a month before his second birthday. In a five furlong maiden race he started even money favourite and won by one and three quarter lengths from Canary Row. After a break of almost two months, Dawn Approach reappeared in a minor race over six furlongs at Naas Racecourse in May. He was made the 4/6 favourite and won easily, beating his Curragh rival Canary Row by five and a half lengths. Dawn Approach returned to Naas nineteen days later for the Listed Rochestown Stakes and completed a hat trick, winning by two and three quarter lengths.