Horses for Sale

   Tuxedo Junction (GB) 


Exciting dual purpose prospect,
click here for details!

 

    Fighter Allen (FR)  


Exciting new horse with proven form, 
click here for details!

 

 


                     Omerta

Omerta is a golden oldie who was a dual Cheltenham Festival winner (one for Pond House) and was the winner of the Irish National in 1991.  He was another who had had a successful career and only came to Pond House in his later years but improved and showed his best form for the yard.  He was a 1980 born chestnut son of Quayside and his dam was called Cherry Princess.

Although it is a little difficult to get all of his very early form he won two bumpers in Ireland in 1985 at Dundalk and Down Royal for trainer J H Scott.  He also won two hurdle races that autumn at Thurles and Down Royal.   He won over fences at Naas in February 1986 and then went on to win the four miler at the Cheltenham Festival in March.  After a summer break he returned to win at Navan in December of that year but then was not seen on the racecourse again for 771 days, returning to run in Irish point to points.  He won two races and then finished fourth in the Foxhunters at the Cheltenham Festival in 1989.

Following a summer holiday he returned to the racecourse in December 1989 and finished midfield in a listed handicap chase before winning a chase at Navan just one week later.  Two below par efforts followed before he was off the track again for just over a year and in that time, moved to be trained at Pond House.

He made his stable debut as an eleven year old in the Kim Muir handicap chase at the 1991 Cheltenham Festival with a certain Mr Adrian Maguire riding.  He was always prominent before ridden to lead approaching the last and he won by 12 lengths beating Golden Minstrel, returning at odds of 11/1, racing off a mark of 132.

Next stop was the Irish National at Fairyhouse the following month.  Adrian Maguire kept the ride and he won by a short-head, beating the Charlie Swan ridden Cahervillahow with Cool Ground a distance back in third.  He then ran in the Scottish National just under three weeks later.  He finished a gallant second beaten five lengths by Killone Abbey but unfortunately his saddle had slipped which did not help his chances at the end.  He ran in the Whitbred at Sandown just a week later and finished fifth behind Docklands Express with Peter Scudamore on board. 

Omerta was then absent for nearly a year again but returned to run in the 1992 Grand National which was won by Party Politics.  He unfortunately pulled up lame before the seventh fence and that brought an end to an amazing career.  He won twelve races which included two Cheltenham Festival wins and of course the Irish Grand National.  Rated 150 at best he was one of the top staying chasers of his era and is fondly remembered at Pond House. 

Watch Omerta win the 1991 Irish Grand National here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lGXCEzqBcQ