Aberama Gold

The summer of 2023 was when Aberama Gold announced himself properly. Three wins at three different top-level venues — York in July, Goodwood in August, and Doncaster in October — all at Class 2 level, which means some of the most competitive sprint races in Britain. The Goodwood win came in the Stewards' Cup, one of the most famous sprint handicaps in the calendar, run on ground that his trainer David O'Meara described as "almost unraceable." That is not a throwaway line. Most horses refuse to perform in those conditions. Aberama Gold thrives in them. On very wet, muddy ground he has won 3 times from just 4 attempts — a 75% win rate that is frankly startling for any racehorse at any level.

What makes him genuinely compelling is that he does not just like one type of ground — he also goes well on fast, dry conditions, winning 3 from 10 races (30%) when the ground firms up. He is a horse with preferences at both extremes, which means his team at O'Meara's yard in North Yorkshire are always watching the weather forecast with real purpose. The trainer has been candid about Aberama Gold's inconsistency — he has had seasons where he has gone in and out of form — but also clear about what a well-timed pitch can deliver. When he fires, he fires at a high level.

His most trusted partner in the saddle is Daniel Tudhope, who has won 5 of their 17 races together. That is just under 1 in every 3 — an exceptional ratio that suggests the two have developed a real understanding. O'Meara's yard has had 101 winners already this season, which gives you a sense of the operation behind him.

Most recently, Aberama Gold won at Catterick Bridge three months ago and finished second just five days ago, suggesting he is very much in one of his "in" years, as his trainer put it. At nine years old, he is not a young horse — but right now, he looks like one worth following closely.