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Trainer David O’Meara believes Baltic Baron can finally shed his nearly-man tag this year and is aiming for success at York.
Baltic Baron has yet to taste victory but has come close on several occasions, with no less than six second-place finishes throughout the five-year-old’s career.
In his most recent second, O’Meara’s charge finished runner-up in a Class 3 Handicap contest at York last summer, but he then struggled when finishing 11th in the Clipper Logistics Handicap in August, despite high hopes going into the race.
O’Meara had to shelve plans to run him in the Lincoln with racing currently suspended but he hopes to be able to see Baltic Baron, who has had wind surgery recently, back in action and is targeting the Clipper Logistics Handicap again at York.
He told Sporting Life: “He was getting ready for the Lincoln and he’s had a small wind op which should help him. He has a bit of a habit of finishing second but he’s matured and the Clipper Logistics race at York would be a starting target.”
O’Meara has a large string of hopeful runners for later this year when racing does resume, including Escobar, who won the John Smith’s Racing Handicap at York in June before tearing up the Balmoral Stakes at Ascot as a 16/1 winner.
The trainer is hopeful of more success for the five-year-old, but admits he may need a few warm-up races before he hits his best again.
He added: “He had a great year last year bolting up at York and then winning the Balmoral Stakes at Ascot. He’s up to 111 which makes him one of the best horses in the yard. He tends to need a couple of runs before he really gets going.”
