DAVID O’Meara will have his eyes on sealing his position at this season’s top trainer at Redcar as the seaside track stages its final meeting of the year on Tuesday.
O’Meara, based at Upper Helmsley, is on 10 winners, two ahead of Tim Easterby going into the Poppy Appeal Day finale.
O’Meara has strong claims in the Weatherbys Stallion Book Handicap with Cold Stare, ridden by Danny Tudhope (pictured below), Redcar’s top jockey over the past five seasons with a win percentage of 20 per cent.
Cold Stare won on soft going at Ayr at this time of year last season off a rating of 87 and he’s on a 10lbs lower mark now, having run some solid races in defeat, including being beaten less than a length by Michael Dods’ in-form Deputy at Doncaster on October 22.
Confirmed mud-lover Deputy is on a hat-trick but Cold Stare is three pounds better off so it should be a close call between the pair.
O’Meara will also fancy his chances when Eeetee, an impressive winner at Redcar at the back end of August, returns for the Weatherbys Global Stallions App Handicap in the hands of talented five-pounds claimer Mark Winn.
Winn has caught the eye on a few occasions at Redcar this season, most recently when seen to good effect on Bryan Smart’s Blazing Son at the last meeting.
Big guns William Haggas and Saeed bib Suroor are represented in the race with French acquisition Millesbosc and Dubai Souq respectively but both have plenty to prove, and Eeetee can make the weight concession tell.
The eight-race card gets underway at 12.20pm and Danny Tudhope looks primed to add to his tally when he partners Flight Plan for Leyburn trainer Karl Burke in the racingtv.com/freetrial EBF Novice Stakes (Division One). The Night of Thunder colt had clearly been showing plenty at home ahead of his debut at Leicester earlier this month because he started at prohibitive odds in finishing fifth. With plenty of unexposed two-year-olds in the field, the market will be the best guide, but Flight Plan looks ready for take-off.
The Burke-Tudhope combination make plenty of appeal again in Division Two with Overrule, who showed up well to be fourth of 13 on his debut at Doncaster.
Saffie Osborne, daughter of Lambourn trainer Jamie Osborne, has had a cracking season, with more than 40 winners, and she has an obvious chance on Newmarket raider Cantora, trained at Newmarket by George Boughey, in the Thank You Adele Nursery, marking Adele Mulrennan’s farewell meeting as Redcar’s racecourse announcer.
Osborne was in the saddle when Cantora won in heavy conditions at Leicester last time out and the partnership can continue their winning ways.
Gordonstoun, trained at Middleham by Liam Bailey, is on a hat-trick in the Get Daily Horse Tips At indicationracing.com Selling Stakes and will have the considerable assistance of Danny Tudhope. However, he has a tough task to give 12 pounds to Bashful, trained in Scotland by Iain Jardine and ridden by Andrew Mullen. Bashful was an eye-catching second of 13 in heavy going in a Class 6 Ayr handicap last time despite being denied a clear run.
Bailey and Tudhope also team up with Clansman in the penultimate Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Handicap over one mile six furlongs, and the Nathaniel gelding was staying on well over a furlong less when winning at Ayr last time. A winner over a mile-and-a-quarter at Redcar back in April, Clansman looks well placed for a follow-up.
The final race of Redcar’s season is the Thanks And See You Next Season Apprentice Handicap. The aforementioned Mark Winn can bow out with a win on Linda Perratt’s attractively-priced Scottish raider Retirement Beckons, a three-time winner this season.
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