Thursday, 6th August 2026
>>>>> This horse is very well-treated….
In ATC today….
You might think he’s a 5f horse….
…. but the evidence says otherwise….
…. and I reckon he’s most likely to land a big handicap pot over 6f….
Oh…. and I think most of the market might be missing it….
Read on….
-----
David O’Meara’s Toca Madera is a 5yo and he’s raced 27 times under rules….
The vast majority of his racing’s been done over the minimum trip – over which he’s appeared 21 times….
That means he’s only raced six times over the 6f trip – just twice since June last year….
…. and given those facts you’d be forgiven for believing that he’s at his best over the shorter distance….
…. but that isn’t true….
He’s a better horse over the 6f trip….
…. and here are the metrics upon which I base that statement….
His six goes over 6f have produced two of his three career wins….
…. he’s only been out of the first three on a single occasion when racing over the longer sprint distance….
…. and he’s produced 61% of his career earnings to date over 6f – from just 22% of his career runs….
As a juvenile he won over the 6f trip at Bath in a race for novices – albeit it he wasn’t up against a field of world beaters that day….
…. before finishing 3/9 in a G2 over 6f at Newmarket….
…. and 3/7 in another G2 later that same summer at Goodwood….
He won a C3 handicap at Windsor over the 6f trip in August 2024 – keeping on well off a mark of 94….
…. he was 3/7 in a C2 handicap at the same track the following June – doing himself no favours by pulling too hard early doors….
…. and on Saturday at Goodwood he finished 5/27 – beaten just 1.25 lengths – in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood off a mark of 96 up against some of the best 6f sprint handicappers in the land….
…. despite not getting a clear run (repeatedly)….
…. and despite being hit on the nose by a rival’s whip when he did finally get out into the clear….
The handicapper’s left him unchanged in the official ratings this week….
…. and my conclusion is that this horse of O’Meara’s is still pretty much unexposed at the 6f trip and a candidate to win a big pot at the trip in the not too distant future….
Saturday was the first time David O’Meara’s tried him at 6f since getting the horse from Brian Meehan in April….
…. and I very much doubt that it will be the last time….
I think the 5yo likely judged more on his 5f exploits than on what represents a pretty reasonable (and very promising) body of work over the 6f trip….
…. and sooner or later he’s going to land a payout for punters who recognize him as a much better proposition at the longer trip….
It could be a patience game with him – he’s already been sent to the well eight times this term….
…. and it might be next season before it happens….
But these sprinters can keep going and hold their form – so certainly don’t discount him for the remainder of this campaign….
He could well pop up somewhere and I’m putting him onto the Watch List so that I don’t miss out….
-----
Saturday delivers the Shergar Cup at Ascot….
I’ve had a lot to say about this event over the years – not much of it good – and I retract none of it….
I’ve waxed lyrical about how much I detest the event….
The ‘team’ thing feels stilted and forced….
…. nobody cares who wins….
…. and all the fake ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘excitement’ whipped up by the ingenuine crew at ITV racing makes me want to put my foot through the television screen….
For me, the Shergar Cup is a total non-event dressed up like it means something or that it matters….
…. but it doesn’t – it doesn’t mean anything, and it doesn’t matter one iota….
Who even knows which team won last year?
I’m telling you now, they could total the points up wrong on Saturday’s races and put up a fake leaderboard to see if anybody notices – and nobody will….
That’s how much racing fans care about the charade that is the Shergar Cup….
…. but – and feel free to call me a cast-iron hypocrite – I’ll be playing anyway….
…. one: because some of the races are right up my street – when viewed as standalone events….
…. and two: because I don’t like blank weekends….
Just don’t expect me to take any interest whatsoever in the ‘team’ element….
…. and know this: I’ll be watching with the sound down until the stalls open on the individual races….
-----
That’s all for today….
Back tomorrow….
Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk
Stay tuned….
Operated by Spa Publishing Group Ltd (Company No. 15830286) 
