No let-up in standards as foundations are laid for further success

Time is a precious commodity – just ask David O'Meara. If presiding over a team of 135 horses wasn't enough, the North Yorkshire-based trainer has the ongoing development of his Willow Farm yard to keep him occupied on the quieter days.

The main work might have been done at the purpose-built stable on the outskirts of York, where O'Meara moved to at the start of 2016, but there is a long way to go before the project is completed.

"In the last 12 months we've built a new 60-box barn and installed a deep-sand oval gallop," says the trainer. "We're in the third year of a five-year project, so we're not finished yet."