Walsingham

The road to becoming a Pontefract specialist was not entirely smooth. O'Meara's yard paid 50,000 guineas for him back in 2023, partly on the strength of some promising form in Ireland under Dermot Weld, and the belief that there was a proper handicapper lurking inside. A setback delayed his debut for the yard, and the first couple of springs under O'Meara's care failed to go to plan. But 2026 has been a different story. Walsingham has won 3 of his last 6 races, with his most recent victory at Pontefract coming just two weeks ago. He races on normal ground better than anything else — winning 3 of his 6 races in those conditions, a rate of 1 in 2 — and the team clearly knows when to roll him out.

What is interesting about Walsingham is the gap between the horse his regular jockey sees and the horse the form book shows. Chris Hayes has ridden him 8 times without a win, yet the horse has clearly found another gear when the right opportunities are lined up. Jockey Brodie Hampson, who rode him at Ascot, described a horse that travelled powerfully into the race, gave a great feel throughout, and won doing less than he needed to — the hallmark of a horse with a bit more in reserve. O'Meara's yard has sent out 107 winners already this season, so this is an operation that knows a live one from a passenger. With Walsingham having raced just yesterday and still in full flow, there is every reason to think his owners have not seen the last of him at Pontefract.