HORSE racing in Ryedale is certainly flourishing at the moment. At the time of writing, three of the leading four trainers in the country are based in Yorkshire, and two of these have their stables in the Ryedale area.

Wiltshire trainer Richard Hannon is leading the contest with 73 winners so far this season, but Musley Bank handler Richard Fahey is tying for second place with Middleham’s Mark Johnston, with the pair both on the 55 winner mark.

In fourth place with 44 wins is comparative newcomer David O’Meara, whose yard is on the edge of the North York Moors at Nawton.

O’Meara’s is a most remarkable success story. In just about three years, from being a run-of-the-mill jump jockey, he has transformed himself, with a mix of knowledge, hard work and dedication, into one of the country’s leading trainers.

In his first season (2010) he turned out 25 winners, 2011 brought him 48 and last year the victories had risen to 69. Although we are not yet in the middle of June he has 62 wins to his credit.

Despite his riding career being over hurdles and fences, most of his training success has been on the Flat.

Four victories last Saturday, with Lexington Blue, ridden by Tony Hamilton, scoring at Beverley, Lucky Numbers and David Nolan winning at Chester and Michael O’Connell successful on Powerful Presence at Catterick, brought the week’s total to eight.

Earlier in the week there had been something of a blip when David Nolan on 7-2 favourite Petrol, after looking certain of victory a furlong out, dropped his hands near the finish of the selling race at Ripon’s evening meeting, and was caught on the line.

The stewards suspended him for ten days (June 19 to 29, excluding June 23).

Graham Lee’s win on Dick Bos later in the evening would alleviate that to some degree and the previous afternoon stable jockey Danny Tudhope had won on Bondesire.

Wins were also registered at Ayr with Awake My Soul (Tudhope) and Southwell with Sharaarah, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa.

With entries at York and Musselburgh this weekend there is every chance that we shall see a O’Meara victor in the winners enclosure once again.

 

• SATURDAY’S Macmillan Charity Day meeting is now established as one of the most successful days of racing of the year at York.

The brainchild of Reg Griffin, then managing director of racing form specialists Timeform at Halifax, the meeting was first staged at Doncaster in 1971.

Her Majesty the Queen attended that day and saw her horse, Charlton, win the big race. She was presented with the trophy by legendary bookmaker William Hill.

The following year, the Jockey Club was unable to grant Doncaster the fixture so York stepped in and it has been held on Knavesmire ever since. It is now the major meeting on the Saturday before Royal Ascot.

The main event this year, the Charity Sprint Trophy, is one of the richest sprint handicaps for three-year-olds in Europe and has produced many great finishes and seen such illustrious sprinters as Cadeaux Genereux and Sheikh Albadou among its winners.

Another showcase contest is the Queen Mother’s Cup – the richest and perhaps the most prestigious race for amateur lady riders in Europe.

First run in 1988, it established a connection with the Royal Family immediately when the Princess Royal won the inaugural contest on Insular.

More recently Francesca Cumani, daughter of Newmarket trainer Luca, was successful, as were local lady riders Serena Brotherton, Alyson Deniel and, for the past two years, Scackleton’s Jacqueline Coward on the Tim Easterby trained Crackentorp. There is every chance that Coward will be back in action on Crackentorp to attempt a hat-trick in this tremendous contest.

 

• RIPON’S afternoon meeting last week saw Neville Bycroft send out a 14-1 winner in Maybeme and, on the same afternoon, Ollie Pears’ Zaitsev, ridden by Joe Fanning, was a 25-1 shot in the Weatherby’s Bank Handicap and romped home three-and-a-quarter lengths clear.

The following day Pears was back in the winner’s enclosure, this time at Southwell, when 7lb claimer Jacob Butterfield was successful on Confidential Clerk.

Meanwhile, Scottish-born Barton-le-Street trainer Peter Niven was sending out Barton Bounty to win a mile-and-a-quarter handicap at Ayr, ridden by Tom Eaves.

Saturday again provided us with a handful of victories.

Both Norton’s Brian Ellison and Malton’s Richard Fahey registered trebles at opposite sides of the country.

Beverley’s meeting saw Richard Hannon send runners up from Marlborough to win three of the first four races with Mick Easterby’s Black Annis Bower, scoring in the Strawberry Fillies Handicap to disturb the sequence.

Then the Ellison trio of Joyful Sound, ridden by Barry McHugh, and Christmas Light and Musical Molly, both in the hands of Dane O’Neill, appeared in the winner’s enclosure.

Chester is the favourite racecourse of owner Dr Marwan Koukash, whose horses span the country in a host of stables.

Three of these, all trained by Fahey, crossed the Pennines and all three were successful. Salford Red Devil, named after the rugby league club owned by Koukash, was ridden to victory by Franny Norton, as was It’s My Time.

The hat-trick of wins was completed by 5lb claiming apprentice George Chaloner on Area Fifty One, and brought the Ryedale stables total to 11 for the day.

 

 

• NEXT week sees the start of Royal Ascot, unquestionably the finest five successive days of horse racing on the planet. Next Tuesday’s programme starts with three Group 1 races and Fahey is considering taking on the Ballydoyle trained Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Magician with Garswood in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

With the English 2,000 Guineas winner Dawn Approach missing this contest Fahey feels that the opportunity is there for his classy colt.

“I’m sure we didn’t see the best of Garswood in the Guineas,” he said. “He’s entered in the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Jersey Stakes.

“We’ll take a look at each race. I’m certain we didn’t see the real horse in the 2,000 Guineas and he’s going really nicely again now.”

Fahey says that he could be sending as many as 14 runners to Ascot and, with most of the other local yards in contention on the Berkshire track, we have plenty to look forward to.