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A third Group 1 winner for Fermoy native David O’Meara at the July Newmarket meeting, with Amazing Maria.

WEEK 28: MONDAY, 6th JULY – SUNDAY, 12th July 2015

Sometimes it's a real pleasure reporting on something that has been part of your life for as long as you can remember. This week is one of those pleasures, as Fermoy native, David O'Meara, proves once again what a great trainer and horseman he is and in truth, his success is what inspired this column from the outset. We have 3 winners to report on from Avondhu area locals based in the UK, with O'Meara providing all of those winners and going on to record his third Group 1 winner with Amazing Maria, at the Newmarket July meeting. Our combined winners total for 2015 now stands on 267.

O'MEARA AND DOYLE CHECKMATE RIVALS WITH AMAZING MARIA IN GROUP 1 FALMOUTH

Fermoy native and trainer, David O'Meara, continues his relentless rise up through the British training ranks, recording three winners in Week 28, the most notable of which came with the James Doyle ridden, Amazing Maria (17/2), who took the 7 runner Group 1 Qipco Falmouth Stakes (Fillies/Mares), over 8f, at Newmarket on July 10th last.

Written off again by media and other so called racing experts going into this Group 1, this four year old home bred daughter of Mastercraftsman, moved well to post and took everything in her stride pre race. Well away from the gate, Doyle reined back Amazing Maria into second last position as the early pace was set by the keen going, Arabian Queen. With the fractions highlighted live on screen, it was clear that this race was slow and tactical early doors and it was going to take a decisive move to break the crawl to the half way point.

As the pace seemed to stagnate further, Doyle had enough and played his cards, switching Amazing Maria to the outside of runners, lifting the gallop and challenging fully two and a half furlongs from home. The knock on effect to this move was massive, as horses who travelled easily like race favourite, Lucida, were now boxed in by the pro active Doyle, whose racing brain these days seems on a par with chess giant Garry Kasparov.

Ridden strongly to challenge at the two pole, Amazing Maria joined Arabian Queen and Euro Charline, who had now hit the front just over one out. A battle, short lived ensued, as the mighty grey eyeballed Euro Charline and nonchalantly passed her as if she stood still. Staying on strongly, Amazing Maria had all the answers and rewarded her jockey’s prowess, going away to win by one length. Euro Charline held off the rest of the field, holding out for second place.

Recording her fourth and most important win, this Sir Robert Ogden owned filly has now shown that her Royal Ascot Group 2 win was no fluke as she again showed a huge turn of foot in the closing stages. With sectional times available on the day, the miles per hour, per furlong, made interesting reading, with Amazing Maria showing where and when she made that devastating move that shaped this race. Those read in MPH, (f1) 27.93, (f2) 34.06, (f3) 32.23, (f4) 34.85, (f5) 36.26, (f6) 39.37, (f7) 42.69 and (f2) 39.19. With a top 5f sprinter capable of average speeds of 40mph and more at tracks like Epsom, that 42.69mph 7th furlong indicates more than anything the slow early pace, but more importantly it also confirms that Amazing Maria wouldn't look out of place dropping back to 7f or dare I say it 6f.

O'Meara will now savour the moment and plan accordingly when the dust settles. Talk is of an entry for the Prix Rothschild, in Deauville, in August. She also holds an entry at Leopardstown, in September in the Group 1 Matron Stakes. Both races would suit her style of racing with a slow pace almost guaranteed in France and Irish races seemingly getting more tactical and slower by the year.

David O'Meara, winning trainer, went onto say, “There is a race at Deauville in August, the Prix Rothschild, that we will probably look at next. Amazing Maria has been bouncing after Ascot, the race didn’t appear to take much out of her and she’s been as well as I’ve ever had her since. She looks great at the moment.”

O'Meara has now trained three Group 1 winners and 12 Group winners in total with six different horses. His achievements to date must rank amongst the greatest in a sporting sense from a Fermoy native, although being a Fermoy man myself I'm biased! It should be recognised as such and we should be rightly proud and embrace what the thoroughbred racehorse brings to the town. We've bred Gold Cup winners, trained Grand National and Group 1 winners, ridden Grade 1 winners, owned derby winners and bred some of the best horses in the world, but alas we seem to have kept it to ourselves.

YORK DOUBLE

O'Meara went onto record another two winners, both on the same York card, on July 11th last. The first winner came with the Phillip Makin ridden, Birdman (7/1), who went onto take the 18 runner John Smiths Racing Stakes (H'cap C2), over 8f. Backing up his recent Haydock win, this four year old gelded son of Danehill Dancer, has now won 5 races from 7 starts since joining O'Meara, which has seen his handicap mark increase from 70 to over 100 off the back of this win. He now looks to be heading into black type races, such is his progressive profile.

O'Meara and Makin went onto complete a double, with Out Do (4/1), who scored his first win in Listed company at the second attempt, taking the John Smiths City Walls Stakes (C1), over 5f. Recording his 7th win in total and now rated 109+, this six year old gelded son of Exceed And Excel, deserves his chance at Group level, with talk of the Group 1 Nunthorpe possibly coming into the reckoning.

O'Meara now sits on the 65 winner mark for 2015 and resides in 8th place in the overall UK flat trainers championship, with 70 winners and almost £1,000,000 in total prize money won.

O'Meara's stable jockey, Danny Tudhope, is still on the sidelines through injury and you have to feel for a man missing out on top class winners.

Combined UK flat/jumps 2015 = 267.

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