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Trainer David O’Meara was head and shoulders above other Avondhu area connections, when claiming no less than 8 winners during Week 23. Photo: 123RF

WEEK 23: 2nd-8th JUNE 2014

Another 10 individual winners to report on from Avondhu area locals in the UK, taking us up to 222 winners since January 1st. The remarkable yard and team of David O'Meara providing no less than 8 of those winners in Week 23. Jonjo O'Neill and Martin Lane added a further winner apiece.

SPIRIT LEADS THE WAY IN O'MEARA ONSLAUGHT

Fermoy native and trainer, David O'Meara, continues in scintillating form and he recorded no less than 8 winners in Week 23. This takes his 2014 flat total up to 44 winners in the UK. His most notable winner came with, That Is The Spirit (11/10f), who took the 5 runner Investec Surrey Stakes (Listed), over 7f at Epsom Downs, on June 6th last.

Ridden by Danny Tudhope, this three year old gelded son of Invincible Spirit, was bidding to keep his unbeaten record intact, having won his only two previous starts. Coping easily with a sharp rise in class from maiden company to class 3 handicap company over those two runs, That Is The Spirit was upped again in class here to Listed (C1) company. With a select field of just four rivals, including group 3 winner Miracle Of Medinah and Coventry (G2) second, Parbold, That Is The Spirit put his stamp on this race early doors, setting out to make all under a confident looking Danny Tudhope.

Handed what looked like an easy lead, Tudhope sat motionless as his mount glided over the turf. Looking in full control after seeing off his first challenger, Miracle Of Medinah, Tudhope asked for maximum effort at the two pole. Stretching away from his rivals, That Is The Spirit looked home and hosed and set for an easy win. But there was one final challenger to come and as That Is The Spirit got lonely in front, Ryan Moore and Parbold were gathering up a head of steam on the blindside of Tudhope.

Switched to the outside to challenge, Parbold came home late and fast to join a somewhat surprised Tudhope. With both horses hitting the line together, That Is The Spirit looked like he just held on and Tudhope's body language seemed to confirm this. With the result going in their favour, by just a nose, both O'Meara and Tudhope would have no doubt breathed a huge sigh of relief on hearing the judge's verdict.

Keeping his unbeaten record intact, That Is The Spirit looks a group horse in the making as he continues to progress up the ranks. His trainer will now take heart from the fact, that after only three runs, his charge has taken the scalp of a group 3 winner and a 109 rated two time group 2 placed horse, in Parbold. His owner F Gillespie can do little wrong at present, having won the French Derby with The Grey Gatsby and he now has another potential group horse on his hands.

Royal Ascot is now on the agenda for this son of grade 1 winner Fraulein. David O'Meara, winning trainer, went onto say, "He’s done it well. He still looked a bit green coming down the hill. He’s run three times now and likes to get on with it as he has a lot of natural speed. That’s the quickest ground he’s encountered and the best race he’s won. I suppose the Jersey is a possible now."

O'Meara went onto record another 7 winners in Week 23. They were Sophisticated Heir (5/2f), who took the Sharnford Handicap (C5), under David Nolan, over 7f at Leicester, on June 2nd; St Moritz (8/13f), who backed up his recent win when taking the Ripon Bet Handicap (C4) under Danny Tudhope, over 1m2f at Ripon, on June 3rd; Saved By The Bell (8/11f), who completed a double on the day for Tudhope and O'Meara at Ripon, when they took the Ladies Day 19th June Handicap (C5), over 1m4f.

Moving onto June 4th where an across the card double saw Omnipresent (7/1) and David Nolan take the 32Red TombRaider Claiming Stakes (C5), over 1m4f at Southwell and Rural Celebration (1/1f) go in again under Danny Tudhope, when taking the Ripon Farm Services Handicap (C4), over 6f at Ripon.

June 5th saw another two across the card winners, one in Scotland and another in England. The first saw Mr McLaren (2/1), under David Nolan, take the Griffiths & Armour Open Maiden (C5) over 6f at Hamilton and the second saw Scoreline (11/10f), under Danny Tudhope, take the 32Red TombRaider Maiden over 5f, at Southwell. A truly remarkable week from a remarkable yard was crowned with That Is The Spirit's listed race win at Epsom Downs.

O'NEILL'S ROUGH SMOOTHLY TAKES VELVET

Castletownroche native and trainer, Jonjo O'Neill, had a quieter than usual week, adding one winner in the shape of In The Rough (1/3f), who took the Tramps And Velvet Nightclub Maiden Hurdle (C4), over 2m4f at Worcester, on June 7th last.

Ridden by champion jockey Tony McCoy, this five year old son of Castlehyde based stallion, Scorpion, was sent to post a warm order off the back of a solid third on his previous start, at Market Rasen in early April. The winner of that novice hurdle, Dubai Prince, has subsequently gone onto take a higher class (3) handicap off a mark of 127 and this looked a good opportunity for O'Neill's charge to break his maiden tag.

Held up early doors, off a moderate pace set by Tiananmen, In The Rough took closer order to four out. Travelling well in second place going to three out, McCoy set about winning this race and challenging Tiananmen to the outside, he joined that rival upsides jumping the second last. Going on by some two lengths after a better jump and kept up to his work over the last, In The Rough racing lazily in front, stayed on well to win readily by some four lengths at the line. Former Stradbally point-to-point winner, Paddocks Lounge, stepped up on previous hurdles form to take second place, with Tiananmen, eased down, holding out for third position.

Recording his first win, on this, his sixth start and looking to appreciate this step up in trip from 2m1f to 2m4f, In The Rough can now go on from this with confidence and may progress well into handicap company. A better pace will no doubt suit this J.P. McManus owned gelding and it will be interesting to see what the handicapper makes of this performance. A £40,000 purchase, In The Rough, a second foal, comes from the family of Wee River and Champion Hurdle second Classical Charm.

O'Neill was recording his 16th winner of the 2014/15 jumps season and still holds a 36% win strike rate with his chase runners this season.

GUNG HO LANE DELIVERS FOR NEWCOMBE

Kilworth native and flat jockey, Martin Lane, kept in the winning groove, riding one winner in Week 23. He recorded his 16th winner of the season in the UK aboard the Tony Newcombe trained, Gung Ho (8/1), who took the 7 runner Streamline Taxis Handicap (C6), over 1m2f at Brighton, on June 3rd last.

Riding this five year old entire son of Marju for the first time, Lane was happy to sit in 4th position off a steady pace, set by Litmus. Taking closer order, in third, on crossing Wilson Avenue, Gung Ho looked to be travelling well within himself. With the leader and jockey Hayley Turner trying to slip the field before the downhill run to the home straight, Lane got down to business. Positioning his mount to challenge up the centre of the straight, Lane moved nicely into second place, but still had some two lengths to make up on the astutely ridden leader.

Finally making in-roads under a strong ride before the one furlong marker, Gung Ho joined and passed the stubborn pacesetter well inside the final furlong. Pushed out, Gung Ho stayed on well, to win going away by one and a half lengths, from a tired looking Litmus, who held on bravely for second place.

Recording just his second win, on this, his 32nd start, Gung Ho has dropped to a lowly handicap mark of just 46. He looked happier on a sounder surface and back on turf for the first time since last October. The ex French trained horse was also notching up his first win in the UK, since arriving from France back in the autumn. Rated 60 at his highest in France, Gung Ho now looks a well handicapped horse if connections can get him out again quickly under a penalty.

Tony Newcombe, winning trainer, went onto say, "He was disappointing when we fancied him last time, but I think the key here was the return to turf on fast ground for the first time since he shaped well on his first start over here."

Total UK wins flat/jumps 2014 = 219; Total wins Dubai = 3.

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