O'Meara's career year could get even better

David O’Meara has made a huge breakthrough at the highest level this year, and the 37-year-old trainer is aiming to add further polish with two solid contenders at this weekend’s QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot.

O’Meara runs Custom Cut in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and G Force in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Born in Ireland, O’Meara had a modest career as a steeplechase jockey and has proved a considerably more successful trainer. Operational for just over four years in North Yorkshire, England, he first established a reputation for revitalizing lowly cast-offs from other stables.

The quality of his stock continued to increase, and O’Meara’s first Group 1 winner arrived when G Force powered past Gordon Lord Byron in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on Sept. 6. Before that, G Force had been sixth when short of room in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes.

A 3-year-old Tamayuz colt, G Force was bought by the Middleham Park Racing syndicate for just 25,000 guineas (about $42,000), having been sent to the sales after one juvenile run in Qatar Racing’s colors.

“He’s better than anything I’ve trained before,” said O’Meara. “He has a lot of ability. If he turns up with the same form as at Haydock, he’ll be very difficult to beat. He was just unlucky in the Nunthorpe.”

G Force, who could head to Hong Kong in December, is the first choice in the British books ahead of the unbeaten Lightning Moon and old rival Gordon Lord Byron.

Although the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes is only a Group 2 event, it is worth 350,000 pounds (about $550,000).

G Force is not the only smart sprinter in O’Meara’s barn, as Move in Time gave him another Group 1 win when he snuck home first in a very tight finish to the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp this month.

Custom Cut was a little more expensive than G Force, although his purchase price of 95,000 guineas (about $159,000) at the sales last October has easily been recouped.

The ex-Irish gelding was added to the Queen Elizabeth II field for 70,000 pounds (about $110,000) this week. He turned around a slow start to the year with five consecutive victories, including two Group 3 wins and a Group 2.

“It cost a lot to supplement, but he has paid for himself, and we know he goes on soft ground,” said O’Meara.

Whether it is money well spent will be determined by his performance against the proven trio Night of Thunder, Charm Spirit, and Toronado.