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Flat Stable Tour 2021: David O'Meara on Lord Glitters, Summerghand, Twilight Spinner and many more
David O'Meara has hit the 100-winner mark for the past eight seasons and the leading trainer provides an update on his powerful team for 2021.
WATCH: David O'Meara Stable Tour Video
OLDER HORSES
AGINCOURT
It was hard to swallow when she got beat by a nose at Goodwood after looking home and hosed. She'll go for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot in which she finished runner-up to Nazeef last year. Hopefully she can be competitive in that - it was always the plan to go straight there after Goodwood.
ALLIGATOR ALLEY
He was purchased at the Horses In Training Sales last year. He's had a small setback which means he won't be seen until later in the year but on his form for Joseph O'Brien he's a fairly exciting sprinter if we can get him back to that level. He's a talented horse.
AZANO
A nice horse and quite forward-going, so ideally wants to be at tracks where he can get to the front. He's got quite a lot of ability and will run in good-quality handicaps over seven furlongs and a mile.
EAGLES BY DAY
We've had a small little hold up with Eagles By Day - he's had a splint which has irritated him and that's why he's not been out yet - but we'd love to get him to the Ebor.
EAGLE COURT
He had a good season last year. He won two handicaps towards the end of the season on soft ground but he's not dependent on it. A mile and a quarter or a mile and a half is his trip - he's not proven over a mile and a half yet but he should stay. He probably would have needed his reappearance at Ripon - a lot have been coming on for the run - and he took a step forward when third at the same course last time.
ESCOBAR
He ran a really good race when third in the Victoria Cup. Ascot's straight course suits him well as he's a horse who finishes off his races strongly and he wants a good pace to aim at. He didn't get enough of a test over seven furlongs at York last time – he needs it to be a stiff seven or a mile. He'll continue to run in those good-quality handicaps.
FIRMAMENT
He’s been a great horse for the yard. He's being aimed at a seven-furlong handicap at York next month that will suit him well. He's got a good record there and races at York will always be on his agenda as his owners love having runners at the course. Seven furlongs is his optimum trip.
GULLIVER
He won the Coral Sprint Trophy over six furlongs at York last season. He sometimes makes you think he wants further than is the case as he doesn't always travel well in the early part of his races but he finishes off nicely. He wasn't ideally suited by how the race developed when he was sixth at the Dante meeting as he wasn't drawn near the pace, but he's a good-quality sprint handicapper who will keep running in those races.
HORTZADAR
He won a couple for us last season and is probably on about the right mark but he ran a great race to finish third in the Lincoln on his return under our apprentice Sean Kirrane and things haven’t really gone his way since. He goes on any ground but handles soft really well and ideally wants a strong pace.
LORD GLITTERS
He's had a good winter. He was in Dubai and won the Jebel Hatta and the Singspiel, and he ran well enough in the Turf on World Cup night. Since then he's run well to finish fourth in the Lockinge and is still going strong. He'll go to the Queen Anne - Palace Pier looks unbeatable but there might be a bit of prize-money to be won. He showed he stayed ten furlongs last year so after Ascot we might be looking at the York Stakes or the Strensall.
MAKAWEE
She's a grand filly. She was runner-up over a mile and a half at Goodwood, a trip which would be a bare minimum, and she ran a really good race to finish third in the Bronte Stakes over a mile and six furlongs at York last weekend. There's another race for her at York next month and then all eyes will be on the Ebor.
ORBAAN
He won impressively at York last year and it looked like he would go on and improve on that. He didn't progress to the extent that we thought but I think there are nice races in him – he's a good horse and one to keep an eye on.
SHELIR
A versatile type who has run well in good-quality handicaps. He’s a strong traveller and likes to race handily - he was only narrowly beaten at Haydock on his penultimate start when given an excellent front-running ride by Danny [Tudhope]. He has run well over seven furlongs and a mile.
SUMMERGHAND
He's had a great winter. The plan was to get him qualified for the AW Sprint Final and he won that under a great ride from Adam Kirby six days after he'd finished fourth in the Cammidge Trophy. We went to the Abernant as he was fit and well, and he ran a blinder in that to beat Oxted. He ran fine when fourth in the Duke of York Stakes - I don't think York is necessarily his track - and he may well go to Royal Ascot for the Diamond Jubilee. He's probably 5-6lb below what it takes to win a Jubilee but he's in good form and we'll take a chance.
YOUNG FIRE
A strong-travelling horse who wants a good gallop to aim at. When he hits form and has those circumstances he is always going to be competitive. Things haven't quite gone his way in recent starts, but the ability he has shown in the past is still there.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
DR T J ECKLEBURG
He’s a nice horse but hasn’t had the right sort of test yet. He ran fine at Epsom, but it wouldn't be an ideal track, and he didn't really enjoy Ripon, while it was bad ground at Haydock the other day and it became too much of a test. A straightforward, galloping track will suit and I’m hopeful he’ll win a handicap or two this year.
NOMADIC EMPIRE
A good-quality sprinter who had a good season last year when he placed twice in listed races. He ran really well when runner-up to Bedford Flyer at York on his most recent start and the plan is to go for the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap over five furlongs at Royal Ascot next.
NOORBAN
She still has some improvement in her. She's a strong-travelling filly and five furlongs on a straight track is probably ideal, but she should stay six furlongs. She has a nice attitude and has had reasonable excuses for her defeats – soft ground probably isn't ideal as it blunts her speed.
PROPRIETY
She came from Sir Michael Stoute and has been a real improver. She was only collared close home at Beverley and looked like she could be a nice filly when winning at Musselburgh. She then went to York and finished second to a well-handicapped filly of David Menuisier's called Flyin’ Solo, so her form is looking solid. She had a go in a listed race at Ayr in a bid to get some black type - she has a very good pedigree - but the race didn't quite suit her as they didn't go as fast as seemed likely. She stayed on quite nicely there over ten furlongs and she has the option of going back up to a mile and a half. She could still be well handicapped.
RHOSCOLYN
He’s improving and was an impressive winner of a valuable handicap at Goodwood on his latest start. He is straightforward, has a nice attitude and will be running in good-quality handicaps over seven furlongs or an easy mile around a bend. All being well he’ll go to Epsom on Oaks day for a seven-furlong handicap and then there’s plenty of races that will suit him during the summer.
TAMASKA
He was bought at the breeze-ups last year and was looking like a really nice horse but had a bit of a setback. After running at Chelmsford and Catterick earlier this season it appeared that straight tracks might suit him better as he wasn't handling the bends that well, and since he's raced on straight tracks he has gone the right way, winning at Thirsk and Ayr. He might keep improving for a while yet.
TWILIGHT SPINNER
She was very impressive at Haydock on only the third run of her life. She had a nice run at Pontefract on debut - she didn't get the clearest of runs - and then won her maiden at Ripon, where she had a lot of work to do on her side but did it well. We pitched her into the Cecil Frail - a Listed race - not sure if she'd handle the very soft ground but she won by six and a half lengths very impressively. She's not entered in the Commonwealth Cup but we'll have to consider supplementing her. It was great that she handled the testing ground at Haydock but I'd seriously doubt that she would be reliant on it - I think she'll be fine on anything.
WATER IRIS
She has a good pedigree. We're still trying to work out her trip but she should be up to winning a race or two.
TWO-YEAR-OLDS
BEAUZON
He was very green on debut but was impressive when winning his second start at Ripon. He didn't handle the testing ground last time but should win again this season on better ground.
HESTER PRYNNE
She won on debut at Beverley and was the first winning progeny of Mondialiste, so that was really nice. She finished her race off well and is likely to run in the Hilary Needler at Beverley on Saturday.
MAY BLOSSOM
She's a filly we like quite a lot. She ran an encouraging race on debut at Redcar before winning at Pontefract. She didn't run her race in the Marygate at York but she should bounce back to form and have a good season.
ZWIFT
She ran an encouraging race on debut at Thirsk. She should improve for that and go close next time.