A smart novice hurdler emerges, a Cheveley Park filly to note and a trainer making early strides - three things we learned this week

Three key takeaways from this week . . .

O'Meara filly looks one to follow

The David O'Meara-trained Estrange ran out an impressive winner of the 1m2f Listed race at Doncaster on Saturday and looks one to follow next season.

The grey daughter of Night Of Thunder bolted up in a soft-ground maiden at Goodwood on her debut in August before finishing midfield when stepped up to Listed level on good to firm ground at Yarmouth next time.

Reverting to a soft surface at Doncaster, the three-year-old again looked set to finish in mid-division before the penny dropped at the furlong marker and the three-year-old powered home to score by a widening length and three-quarter margin.

David O'Meara: trainer of impressive Doncaster winner EstrangeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Runner-up Danielle is proven on a soft surface and had gone close in Group 3 company against the boys on her start beforehand, so the form stacks up well.

The way Estrange hit the line suggests that she will have no problem stepping up in trip next season and that theory is backed up by her pedigree, with her dam an unraced half-sister to St Leger winner Logician.

Soft ground seems important, so she may not be seen too frequently during the summer, but she looks open to plenty of improvement both mentally and physically on the back of three starts and is very much a horse for her connections to look forward to.
Joe Eccles

Aintree novice hurdler can take high rank

It has been a long time between drinks since the O'Neill team celebrated a Grade 1 winner, but that drought might finally come to an end thanks to Mister Meggit.

A very good bumper horse who had excuses when beaten in a Grade 2 at Aintree in April, he took to hurdles like a duck to water and barely came out of second gear when cantering to victory under Jonjo O'Neill Jr on Saturday.

Not since Holywell's win in the Mildmay Novices' Chase in April 2014 has the yard struck at the highest level, but the manner of the six-year-old's win suggests he is their next star in waiting.

Mister Meggit: easy winner on his hurdling debut at AintreeCredit: GROSSICK RACING

So impressed was Jonjo O'Neill that he compared him to his 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised, who also won a Savills Chase and Welsh Grand National. That is a hugely bullish comparison to make so early in his career.

Given Mister Meggit runs in the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings, you expect staying contests will be his bag and the Challow Hurdle, which he could target, is already shaping up to be a corker.

He could not only be another star for Jonjo but a crucial one for his other son, AJ, too. In their first season on a dual-licence, Mister Meggit looks set to take high rank for the new-look operation.
Matt Rennie

Curtis making quick inroads on last year's tally

A double at Aintree on Saturday continued Rebecca Curtis's fast start to the season, with the trainer's horses hitting form early in part due to renovated gallops.

Curtis is just one winner short of levelling her tally of ten winners last campaign and before Sunday’s racing had saddled nine other placed horses from 40 runners.

The Pembrokeshire trainer has upgraded her facilities and the implementation of a deeper surface on the yard's round gallop has helped her horses hit full stride.

Haiti Couleurs took a step forward from his runner-up effort at Chepstow's season opener when winning by 15 lengths on the Grand Sefton card, with the trainer highlighting the National Hunt Chase as a potential target in the spring.

Rebecca Curtis: has her horses in good formCredit: Edward Whitaker

Curtis has some nice young prospects among her string and Cedar Creek, a son of Frankel, showed significant improvement from his debut fifth at Exeter when landing the concluding bumper.

Ben Solo is better than he showed in the novice hurdle won by Mister Meggit – and will be seen to best effect on softer ground – while another promising youngster is Douglas Hyde, who was popular in the betting for a recent Bangor bumper and shaped well in second.
Jack Haynes

Read more:

'The last one I had like that was Synchronised' - Jonjo O'Neill impressed by Mister Meggit's smooth hurdles debut 

No rain in sight as 'unusual' spell of dry weather leads to Cheltenham watering before November meeting 

Gold Cup dreams alive again for Team Twiston-Davies as yard aims to build on flying start 

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