Ashnak

O'Meara, who has sent out an impressive 101 winners this season alone, spoke openly about Ashnak on a recent stable tour. The horse ran well on debut for the yard in the Zabeel Mile but hasn't quite reproduced that form since. Crucially, O'Meara had a conversation with jockey Rab Havlin at York that shed some real light on why. Havlin's verdict was blunt and specific: Ashnak needs room to race on his own terms. Put him in a tight, scrappy contest where he gets jostled or crowded, and he simply switches off and gives you nothing. That kind of temperament isn't a flaw so much as a set of conditions — get them right and you might see a very different horse.

The plan going forward reflects exactly that thinking. O'Meara is considering putting Havlin back in the saddle, on the basis that a jockey who already understands a horse's quirks is worth more than starting fresh with someone new. The other adjustment is likely to be targeting smaller fields — races where Ashnak can find his rhythm without being hemmed in. It's a sensible, patient approach from a trainer who clearly knows what he's working with.

The encouraging note is that O'Meara reports Ashnak is training well at home, which suggests the flat performances aren't down to a