Super Saturday for Yorkshire stables

This William Hill Ayr Gold Cup success – the highlight of a 769-1 treble for the ever-popular jockey James Doyle – was another notable success for Cheshire-based businssman Frank Gillespie whose diamond green checked colours were carried to glory by The Grey Gatsby seven days earlier in the Irish Champion Stakes.

However, the horse’s advantageous draw on the stands-side rail – Doyle described this strip of lightning quick turf as “the golden highway” – should not detract from Nawton-based O’Meara’s growing prowess as a trainer.

Since acquiring Louis The Pious from The Grey Gatsby’s trainer Kevin Ryan nearly two years ago, the horse has won the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and now Ayr’s fiercely competitive six-furlong sprint handicap.

“He was drawn well again this year and he is a good horse,” said O’Meara, who saddled his first Group One winner a fortnight earlier when G Force won Haydock’s Betfred Sprint Cup under The Yorkshire Post’s columnist Danny Tudhope.

“We put the visor on him because Fran Berry rode him the last day at Ascot and thought it might just help him a little bit, and he was right.

“He’s a horse with a lot of ability. Sometimes he can run an indifferent kind of race but on his day he’s very good, as we saw at Royal Ascot. These big-field handicaps bring the best out of him.”

Doyle, a jockey who has enjoyed so much success this year with Prince Khalid Abdullah’s champion miler Kingman, was quick to pay tribute to O’Meara.

“It was a golden highway up that rail, but I can’t take any credit. David and his team have done a fantastic job with this lad. In the end, I’ve probably won by a bit too far,” said Doyle, after his two-and- three-quarter lengths win over Minalisa on the far side and the Amy Ryan-ridden Blaine.

“These races are pretty valuable and it’s an important part of the season to win a few of these. It’s a dream come true.”

Doyle, who recorded his first ever century of winners last week, arrived at the track just in time to win on Power Play – his plane had been delayed – before bringing Huntsmans Close down the stands side to run out a clear-cut winner of the William Hill Ayr Silver Cup.

There was some consolation, however, for the aforementioned Tudhope when he rode the O’Meara-trained Earth Drummer to victory.

Not to be outdone, Constable Burto’s Ann Duffield won the Group Three Firth Of Clyde Stakes when the Qatar Racing-owned Dark Reckoning prevailed under Graham Lee – the trainer also landed the corresponding race in 2012 with Melody Of Love.

This success helped Yorkshire-trained horses win 16 out of the 40 Flat races that were staged across Britain on Saturday.

Perhaps the most impressive was Toocoolforschool’s exceptional pillar-to-post triumph in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.

Runner-up in the Acomb Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting, the Karl Burke-trained two-year-old turned in a really sharp display in this Group Two over six furlongs to win by seven lengths.

Soft ground saw the field depleted – and Leyburn-based Burke expects to receive offers for Toocoolforschool who was ridden with effortless ease by Silvestre de Sousa.

“The ground has played a factor in the winning distance, but we weren’t sure he’d even handle it,” said Burke, who won the 2008 renewal with Lord Shanakill.

“My inclination would be to put him away for the season, although I’ll be surprised if the phone doesn’t ring with offers from abroad for him. As you know, money talks.

“There was a bid for him from Hong Kong after the Acomb, but there was a small issue with the vet and it fell through.

“I’ve always known he has a lot of ability, and also that he was saving a bit for himself. He’s obviously a high-class horse. We’ve done really well with our two-year-old colts – 14 of the 15 we have have already won.”

Meanwhile, Malton’s Richard Fahey saddled Lacing to win £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Median Auction Stakes at Newmarket. “Paul [Hanagan] said the further she went the better she went,” said Chris Richardson of Cheveley Park Stud, who own the horse.

In the next race Secret Brief, trained by Middleham’s Mark Johnston, battled on to win the nine runner £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Trophy under stable jockey Joe Fanning.

“He had a bit to find on ratings but he’s done it well. We’ll see how he comes out of the race and then decide whether he will run again this year,” said Johnston.