THERE was a force of nature at Haydock Park yesterday, but, for once in an otherwise dominant season, it had nothing to do with Sole Power. Instead, the Betfred Sprint Cup was won by G Force, which was appropriate enough, given that the victory brought trainer David O’Meara and jockey Danny Tudhope their first Group One prize. The pair have been rising stars for a few years now and this handsome win merely confirmed their status as a new force in the north.
For Sole Power, whose last-gasp heroics under Richard Hughes in the King’s Stand and again in the Nunthorpe Stakes had revived flagging interest in the sprint division this season, the gaps did not come quite as readily as they had at Royal Ascot and York and neither did the extra furlong suit the explosive turn of foot of the brilliant seven-year-old. By the time Hughes had negotiated his way through the wall of horses in front of him, Gordon Lord Byron had dashed into the lead on the rails in a bid to defend his title and Tudhope had unleashed G Force with a decisive run down the centre of the track. Sole Power, the 5-2 favourite, was left a bit flat-footed and finished a gallant fourth, with the consistent Music Master taking third.
“Richard [Hughes] blamed the ground, but Sole Power still ran a great race and I’m really proud of him” said his trainer, Eddie Lynam, who was seeking e an extraordinary clean sweep of the major sprints in the Qipco Champion Series after his Slade Power had taken the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and the July Cup.
But nothing should detract from the performance of G Force, who had no luuck in running when beaten by Sole Power at York but found a convenient gap when it was needed yesterday. The three-year-old seemed to profit from the rise from five to six furlongs, while Sole Power did not appreciate the extra distance. “It’s unbelievable,” said Tudhope, inset. “But we’ve had faith in this horse. He’s not very big but he’s got a massive heart and a great turn of foot. He is a class horse and today we got the breaks.”
O’Meara’s career graph has shown a relentless upward curve. From 25 winners in 2010, to 48, 69 and, last season, to 136, the Irishman has shown an ability to improve mediocre horses and bring the very best out of good ones. He has been consistently successful at the big northern tracks and has made a series of profitable raids south, a reflection of his growing confidence and the rising quality in his yard. “I’m still shaking,” the trainer said. “It’s just great for everybody at home and for Danny, who has given him a brilliant ride.”
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This is typically self-effacing O’Meara, but alongside Mark Johnston, Kevin Ryan and Richard Fahey, the north now has a series of powerhouse stables to match the major Newmarket yards. It will be part of the pleasure for O’Meara that G Force was bought for a song – or at least £25,000 – out of the Richard Hannon stable and earned six times that sum for his victory yesterday. There could well be more to come, too.
While Hughes had a trying day at Haydock, having been unseated from Havana Cooler at the start of the race before the major sprint, Ryan Moore, the long-time leader in the race of the jockeys’ championship, rode a double at Ascot, pushing home Good Place for Godolphin in the Hyperion Fillies’ Stakes and Squats for William Haggas in the nursery. To complete a memorable day, O’Meara sent Algar Lad south to win the last at Ascot under apprentice, Sam James.