Ambitious O’Meara says age is no Ebor barrier for Blue Bajan

Yet O’Meara, a former jump jockey now regarded as one of the country’s most promising trainers after teaming up with Roger Fell at Arthington Barn Stables at Nawton near York, says age should not be a factor for the twice Yorkshire Cup runner-up.

Blue Bajan, he says, saves his best for York and headed Motivado – today’s Ebor favourite – when finishing fourth in the John Smith’s Silver Cup last month.

“He doesn’t know his age, but he’s in great form and seems to save his best for York. It would be fantastic, certainly not the great surprise ever, if he got his nose in front,” said O’Meara who is a dual purpose trainer. “He only has one pound more than Motivado and those Yorkshire Cup runs, they were brilliant.”

However, victory would cap a remarkable rise to prominence for O’Meara, a journeyman jump jockey whose winners, numerically-speaking, were comparable to his falls. He has enjoyed a phenomenal run of success since acquiring a training licence in 2010 thanks to the likes of businessman Fell, who heads the yard, and the support of people like near neighbours John and Claire Hollowood, who own Blue Bajan.

O’Meara trained 48 winners last year and already has 51 to his name this season, including Dutch Rose, who won Thursday’s finale on day two of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

Key to the success has been O’Meara’s partnership with Dutch Rose’s jockey Daniel Tudhope. It had an unlikely beginning; the Scots-born rider had been recovering from knee surgery which required a winter off. Opportunities were scarce. His friend Silvestre de Sousa, now with Godolphin, asked O’Meara if Tudhope could ride out and the results have been career-changing.

After Blue Bajan won a first Group race for both men in Sandown’s Henry II Stakes last year, they have won successive renewals of Ripon’s Great St Wilfrid Stakes with Pepper Lane – the second of these successes coming just seven days ago.

“I promised him nothing. I said I’d pay him to ride out and give him a few rides when I could, and he took his chance when Silvestre went off (to ride for Godolphin),” said O’Meara, who is the joint leading trainer at York this year alongside Tim Easterby. “He’s very strong, has great hands and rides the race well. He works very hard and is a genuinely nice fella.”

The respect is mutual. Tudhope, 26 and now based in Thirsk, says of his boss: “He knows the form inside out, he knows what he is doing and has a great eye for a horse.”

The well-travelled Northern Racing College graduate, whose first victory came courtesy of an apprentice race in Pisa, Italy, in October 2003, added: “I had 43 winners last year and set myself a target of 50.

“I’m already on 61 and Blue Bajan goes to the Ebor with every chance. He hasn’t run so much this season, but that was always the plan, and he is fresh and well. I’ve sat on him a few times recently and he has never felt better.”

The aforementioned O’Meara is not the only Ebor contender with a National Hunt pedigree. Ireland’s Jessica Harrington, responsible for the great champion chaser Moscow Flyer, saddles Steps To Freedom and Bob Le Beau. Both have huge weights to carry, despite apprentices being booked to ease their burden. And Bedale-based Graham Lee, victorious in the 2004 Grand National, has his first Ebor ride on Jim Goldie’s Icon Dream.

Sired by the great Sadler’s Wells, the five-year-old’s only victory ironically came in the first of his 17 races but he is a consistent performer waiting to win a big race.

Meanwhile Middleham’s Mark Johnston saddles Hurricane Higgins, named after the former snooker star, while Royal Ascot winner Camborne is the class act in the race for trainer John Gosden and jockey William Buick. The best handicapped, though, is Sir Mark Prescott’s Motivado. He receives just a 4lb penalty for his Glorious Goodwood victory. With just 8st 12lb to carry, he is the one to beat.