David O’Meara Stable Tour | RaceBets Blog EN

New recruits set to boost stable hot on big-race trail

David O’Meara could hardly be better placed as he
sets out on his tenth season as a trainer.

The landmark campaign might be in its infancy but
the signs are encouraging with stable star Lord Glitters collecting just shy of
£500,000 for his third place in the Dubai Turf and plenty of winners already on
the board at home.

O’Meara, who enjoyed his best prize-money haul in
2018 when surpassing the century mark for the sixth successive year, reached
another notable milestone just last week.

“We had a two-year-old win at Beverley and he
was my 900th winner,” said the Irishman, who has built up one of the
biggest teams in Britain since starting out in 2010.   

The trainer has established a reputation for
getting a tune out of horses recruited from other stables and there has been an
influx of new arrivals during the close season.

“We’ve sold a few and bought a few and are
constantly trying to improve the quality in the yard,” said O’Meara.
“The team is every bit as good as last year – if not a little
better.”

Stable profile

Yard Willow Farm
Where Upper Helmsley, York
Started training 2010
Finest hour The Group 1 wins have all been special with Amazing
Maria’s victories in the Falmouth and Prix Rothschild in 2015, and
Mondialiste’s win in the 2016 Arlington Million particularly memorable
Horses in yard 130
Strike-rate last season 11%
Members of staff 35
Assistant trainer Jason Kelly
Senior head lads Aaron Bateman and Colin Bolger
Barn managers Danielle Fowkes and Katie Bellamy 
Pupil assistant Felix Lepeudry
Jockeys Danny Tudhope, David Nolan, Cam Hardie, Shane Gray and
Robbie Downey
Apprentices Conor McGovern
Website davidomeararacing.com

Winners in Britain

2018 113
2017 109
2016 103
2015 122
2014 112 

Profit/loss to a £1 stake

2018  -298.78
2017  -247.14
2016  -336.62
2015  -176.30
2014  -101.16

Total prize-money in 2018

£1,912,467

Older horses

Addis Ababa
Four-year-old gelding 
Declaration Of War (sire) – Song Of My Heart (dam)
Owner: Sir Robert Ogden
Form figures 12238-3
Racing Post Rating 86; Official rating 82
Ran okay on the all-weather on his first run back and should go on a bit of softer ground. The family tend to get better with age and I hoped he’ll develop.

Arecibo
4c Invincible Spirit – Oceanique 
George Turner & Clipper Logistics
Form figures 213489-
Racing Post Rating 100; Official rating 100
A fast type who showed good form in France. He’s settled in fine and we start him off in a sprint handicap at York, either over 5f or 6f. We’ll see how he does and then maybe look at some Pattern races.

Ballard Down
6g Canford Cliffs – Mackenzie’s Friend 
Thoroughbred British Racing
70-3398
RPR 105 OR 91
His first two runs for us were good but the next two not so. He’s a quirky horse who probably saves a lot for himself but if he can return to the form he showed with William Knight, we can have some fun.

Cold Stare
4g Intense Focus – Ziria
Middleham Park Racing XC
51582-
RPR 100 OR 94
We had quite high hopes for him last year but just needed to get to know him. He’s a good handicapper and, if he proves himself good enough, could be one for the Ayr Gold/Silver Cup. He’s very ground dependant as he wants it soft.

Courtside
4g Siyouni – Memoire 
Evan M Sutherland
4267-02
RPR 84 OR 77
Came recommended by David Simcock and finished second to another of ours, Hortzadar, in a mile handicap at Pontefract last week. His pedigree suggests he’ll get further and you’ll probably see him over 1m2f next time on easier ground.

Escobar
5g Famous Name – Saying Grace
Withernsea Thoroughbred Limited
70302-0
RPR 109 OR 102
Ran a blinder in the Balmoral on ground I thought he’d hate and at a track I didn’t think he’d like. He had an indifferent run in the Spring Cup on tacky ground and hasn’t tended to start his season that well. He likes going around a bend and if he can progress out of handicaps, I’d look at conditions and Listed races. Ideally he wants a lot of cover in a big field and he’ll go for the Royal Hunt Cup again.

Firmament
7g Cape Cross – Heaven Sent 
Gallop Racing
5V6334-
RPR 115 OR 95
Seems really happy and well and should be capable of bouncing back this year. We’ll start him off in the Thirsk Hunt Cup and hopefully get him to York for the Hambleton and then on to Ascot again.

Frankuus
5h Frankel – Dookus
Hussain Alabbas Lootah
156/749-
RPR 112 OR 100
Has some interesting back form but is not without his quirks. He’s quite ground dependant and we’ll wait until the ground is slow before giving him his comeback.

Hajjam
5g Paco Boy – Amanda Carter
Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah
72017-5
RPR 99 OR 94
Made a pleasing return at Newmarket last week at a track that probably doesn’t suit him. I thought he was better on soft ground but he has run some nice races on a faster surface as well. He should be able to win good races at tracks like Ascot.

Dark horse

Hortzadar 
4g Sepoy – Clouds Of Magellan
Akela Construction Ltd
3218-11
RPR 100 OR 96
Bought from France last July but didn’t run for us last year. He won very nicely at Pontefract last week and then followed up under a penalty at Redcar on Monday. He’s versatile ground-wise and might go for a mile handicap at the Dante meeting. 

Intisaab
8g Elnadim – Katoom
Stuart Graham
12-3000
RPR 114 OR 108
Ran well on his first start in Dubai but fared badly the next three times. We’ve freshened him up and he’ll have a run or two before the Wokingham. He can be fussy in the stalls but overall he’s been a good horse for us.

Star quality

Lord Glitters
6g Whipper – Lady Glitters
Geoff & Sandra Turnbull
23166-3
RPR 118 OR 116
Produced a mighty run in the Dubai Turf, finishing third behind Almond Eye. He was conceding 5lb to the first, second and fourth – it was a hell of a run. I think he’s a better horse this year. We’ve trained him a bit differently and he’s settling much better – physically he just seems happier. He’ll go for the Lockinge next and then we’ll look towards Royal Ascot. He was only beaten half a length in last year’s Queen Anne and will have an entry in that race and the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. He’ll probably move up to 1m2f at some point and will get an entry in the Juddmonte later in the year. Although he’s run well on fast ground, he’s actually better on softer but you can’t wait around. He’ll run in all the big races and hopefully land one.

Muscika
5g Kyllachy – Miss Villefranche
Gallop Racing & Dynast Racing
01543-6
RPR 97 OR 90
We hold him in quite high regard and think he’ll get better with age. He started back at Redcar but raced a bit lazily and we’ll probably put the blinkers back on. Hopefully, he can work his way up to the big 6f handicaps.

Remarkable
6g Pivotal – Irresistible
Hambleton Racing Ltd XXVII
06201/4
RPR 116 OR 107
Made a lovely start for us in the Doncaster Mile and as it was his first run for 18 months, he’s bound to come on for it. When he was with John Gosden he ran some nice races at Ascot and I suspect that track and a bit of ease in the ground will be far more to his liking.

Salateen
7h Dutch Art – Amanda Carter
Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah
24-1054
RPR 111 OR 102
Ran a blinder in the Mile Championship at Lingfield over a trip that stretches him a little. He’s better over 7f and is equally effective on turf. I might take him abroad to somewhere like Germany to see if he can win a Group race.

So Beloved 
9g Dansili – Valencia
Thoroughbred British Racing
83024-3
RPR 116 OR 105
An old boy now at the age of nine. He made a reasonable return at Thirsk and might go for a 7f handicap at Haydock on Saturday and then to York next month. Although he doesn’t win very often, he’s been a grand servant and earned a lot of money.

Suedois
8g Le Havre – Cup Cake
George Turner & Clipper Logistics
4/70324-
RPR 117 OR 115
Can switch between 6f, 7f and a mile and might start off in the bet365 Mile at Sandown on Friday. He often comes on for a run or two and has a choice of entries next month. If he were to go to Royal Ascot it would be for the Diamond Jubilee rather than the Queen Anne and races like the Lennox, City of York and Foret will be under consideration later on. I’d also like to get him back to America for the Shadwell Turf Mile, a race he won in 2017. He had a little niggle at the end of last year but is fine again now. He ran well last year without winning but he’s thoroughly genuine and racked up plenty of prize-money.

Summerghand
5g Lope De Vega – Kate The Great
Hamad Rashed Bin Ghedayer
10030-2
RPR 105 OR 100
A real star for us last year, winning five races, and it looks like he’s come back as good as ever. He should have won at Newmarket last week, but he got boxed in and was only beaten by a neck. There’s a nice handicap at York for him and races like the Wokingham will be under consideration.

Tamleek
5g Hard Spun – Tafaneen 
N D Crummack & The Roses Partnership
14840/5
RPR 104 OR 96
Formerly with Godolphin, he had over a year off before we bought him. He had a good run back at Doncaster and might go to York next for one of the handicaps. He’s been straightforward enough up to now.

Three Saints Bay
4g Kodiac – Fiuise 
Gary Douglas
3204-41
RPR 106 OR 101
I thought he wanted a bit more cut in the ground but he won well at Musselburgh last Saturday. He’s a very tough horse who’s improved and strengthened up from last year and it was a really taking performance.

Time’s Arrow
5h Redoute’s Choice – Gilt Edge Girl 
George Turner & Clipper Logistics
11607-7
RPR 108 OR 100
Started off with Sir Michael Stoute and then went to France where he improved with age. I probably overfaced him a little by running him in the Abernant first time up. It might be that he’s a better horse on the all-weather and it can take time to get to know them, but his work at home has been very good. He should be able to make his mark at conditions or Listed level at some point.

Waarif
6g Arcano – Indian Belle 
Middleham Park Racing XLIX
1029-07
RPR 105 OR 97
He won four races last year and went up more than 20lbs in the handicap. He was very tough and improved naturally. He started out in the Lincoln and then ran okay at Bath last week after blowing the start. He should be back competitive in some of the better handicaps, such as the Hambleton at York.

Three-year-olds

Astrologer
f Intello – Starscope 
Cheveley Park Stud
68-2
RPR 77 OR 78
Formerly with John Gosden, she ran a lovely race on debut for us at Wolverhampton last week. She’d been training well and should have no problem winning her maiden or novice and then we’ll see after that. She’s a lovely filly who will stay a mile.

Blue Gardenia
f Mastercraftsman – Alegra
Sir Robert Ogden
32521-
RPR 95 OR 93
A lovely filly we liked a lot last year. She never won a maiden but landed a Newmarket Listed race at the end of the season. She might make her seasonal debut in the Musidora at York and then if that goes well, we might run her in the Oaks. She’s not the biggest and most robust but she has wintered well.

Raceform Interactive stat

David O’Meara is very selective about
the horses he’s sent to Lingfield’s turf track, with just ten going since the
start of 2016 and four winning. That becomes 4/5 with horses aged 4+ (+£5.17).

Constant
g Dutch Art – West Of The Moon 
Gallop Racing
51256-
RPR 85 OR 84
A new arrival from Karl Burke, I’ve struggled to get to know him a little but he’s been working well. He was kept to slower ground last year and I suspect that’s what he needs. He’s a tough little horse who will do okay.

Dancing Rave
f Coach House – Right Rave 
David Lumley & Partner
524242-
RPR 70 OR 69
She did well enough last year and has grown a lot over the winter. There’s a race at Wolverhampton to start her off and she should progress.

Fastman 
c Elzaam – Manalisa 
Craig Miller
1214-
RPR 86 OR 88
By an underrated sire and incredibly tough, he improved with each run last year
and has done well over the winter. He might run at Doncaster on Friday
over 6f – although I suspect he’ll get a little further.

Kuwait Station 
g Swiss Spirit – Summer Spice 
Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah
014396-
RPR 89 OR 86
A nice, big sort who should do well. He won twice last year but got very warm in races at the end of the season, so we’ve gelded him. His trip is probably 7f and he’ll start his season at Beverley on Thursday.

Leodis Dream
g Dandy Man – Paddy Again 
Andrew Kendall-Jones I
211-1
RPR 91 OR 90
A smart little horse who has won every start since finishing second on debut. He’s very fast and tough and did well to win at Thirsk on his return. He’ll probably go to Chester next month as he should be suited by the track.

Lovin 
f Orb – Innocent Love 
Nick Bradley Racing 26 & Partners
510-8
RPR 82 OR 82
Ran a lovely race on debut at Goodwood and then won at Chelmsford before we tried her in a Listed race in France. I might have run her a bit soon in the year on comeback and she’s training a lot better now.

Two-year-olds

This year’s crop have started off pretty well and we like them as a bunch. Great Dame (f Dandy Man – Dame Hester) is from a very good family and won well on her second start at Ripon last week. Infinite Grace (f Sepoy – Pepper Lane) finished second in the same race on debut and is out of a mare I trained to win two Great St Wilfrids. She has a nice future ahead of her. Dazzling Des (c Brazen Beau – Secret Liaison) probably would have won at Thirsk had he been fit – he just blew up a bit – and we think a lot of him as well. I’ve got a lovely, big colt by Kingman called Full Authority (out of Ashley Hall). His work has been good and he’ll start over 6f. Oso Rapido (c Kodiac – Burke’s Rock) is another who will start over 6f and we also have high hopes for him.

Horse to follow

Leodis Dream
A small, speedy horse that might have been deemed more of a two-year-old after winning two of three starts in his first season, Leodis Dream made a winning comeback in a handy-looking handicap at Thirsk the other week, showing improved form. What’s more, he did so despite hanging left and perhaps suggesting the run can squeeze more out of him. Chester has been nominated as a future target, which seems eminently sensible, and with his BHA rating already in the 90s he can be expected to progress to top sprint handicaps by the year’s end.