Name: David Myerscough

Age: 27

Principal Jockeys:  Padraig Beggy

Notable Wins:
The Golden Fleece Stakes (Listed), Leopardstown (Bruges, July 2007),
Roadbridge Maiden, Curragh (Satu, June 2007),
Bank of Ireland Business Banking EPF Maiden, Curragh (Bruges, June 2007),
Tote Community Raceday Handicap, Naas (Boule Masque, June 2007),
Waterford Crystal Handicap, Curragh(Grand Revival 2006),
Kildare Village Handicap, Curragh (Lilac Mist 2006)

60 Seconds With David Myerscough Q. Of the races that you have yet to win, which one would you most like to saddle the winner of? A. The Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe. Q. What has been your most memorable winner to date? A. Bruges when he won the listed race at Leopardstown. Q. If you could only train the progeny of one sire for the rest of your career, which one would it be? A. Galileo. Q. What is your main goal or target for the season ahead? A. I would like to train 15 winners, including a black-type horse. Q. What is your horse to follow for the year? A. Simla Sunset is a filly I really like and I hope she could progress into a black-type filly. She ran a big race at Naas on her seasonal reappearance over a trip that was probably a touch too far for her. She banged herself after that race and I’ve had to go easy on her for a few weeks, but we have pencilled in a fillies maiden in early-July for her and time will tell if she can deliver on what she has shown us at home.

In terms of pedigree, David Myerscough is a product of one of the best known families in racing. With the greatest trainer of all time, the lateVincent O’Brien, being his grandfather and being a son of the highly-successful auctioneer and stud owner, Philip Myerscough, David is certainly bred to go far in the racing industry.

Having spent three years studying accounting and finance in college, David went away to gain his racing education. He spent time with Jessica Harrington in Ireland, before working for Nicky Henderson and Luca Cumani in England. From there, he completed his apprenticeship in Australia where he spent time with the highly-successful trainer, Gai Waterhouse.

After returning home to Ireland, David took out his training license in August 2005 with just six horses in his care and he saddled his first runner on the 24th September 2005 with Mareda finishing fifth in a handicap at Fairyhouse. He had to wait until the following season to saddle his first winner and it came in the Kildare Village Handicap at the Curragh on 30th June 2006. Lilac Mist was having her first run since the previous October, as well as her first run for Myerscough having been trained by Henry Cecil in England until then. However, Myerscough produced her in the form of her life to hit the front approaching the straight under Padraig Beggy and stay-on strongly to hold off the challenge of Indalo Bay by ½l.

It only took six weeks for David to double his tally of winners and his second success would prove to be just, if not more, satisfying than the first. Grand Revival had been trained by David’s uncle, Charles O’Brien, in the early part of his career, until being transferred into David’s care. Having finished second at the Galway Festival on his second start for Myerscough, Grand Revival was well-fancied to prevail at the Curragh 12 days later and in first time blinkers, he doggedly held off all challengers to get home a length in front of his rivals. What made the win all the more special was the fact that Grand Revival was owned by David’s late grandfather, Vincent O’Brien.

A fortnight later, David came within agonising inches of landing by far the biggest prize of his training career at that stage. Claimed out of Kevin Prendergast’s yard for just over €35,000 having easily won a claimer at Sligo, Spirit Of Pearl made her first start for Myerscough in the listed Danehill Dancer Tipperary Stakes a fortnight later. The bookmakers gave her little chance, allowing her to go off at 14/1, but she produced an improved effort to finish very strongly for second, beaten by a rapidly diminishing neck.

At the beginning of 2007, David moved into Johnny Murtagh’s yard on the Curragh and with the famous gallops and a larger capacity for horses at his disposal, he duly stepped up his number of winners. Boule Masquee, Russian Empress and Satu all pitched in with wins, but undoubtedly his star performer was Bruges. A well-bred son of Marju, he made the perfect start to his career when winning a competitive 6f maiden at the Curragh in early-June, before stepping up on that effort to win the listed Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown a month later. His year was wrapped up by a first win in England when saddling Greek Easter in win a handicap at Lingfield in late-December. He was subsequently bought by Hamdan Al Maktoum, but could not quite recapture the same level of form in three starts as a three-year-old.

2008 saw Myerscough once again improve on his tally of winners. The star performers of his season were undoubtedly the consistent handicappers Russian Empress and Amarama, who won a race each and finished in the frame in strong company, with the former finishing third in the Galway Mile and the latter finishing second in the Irish Cambridgeshire. The likes of Sciatin, Irish Heartbeat, Boule Masquee, Dianella, Shinkansen and Keyala all contributed to Myerscough’s tally of winners and in total, he saddled 10 winners through the course of the season.

2009 has started off in solid fashion, with the star performer thus far being the progression Bangalore Gold, who has won his last two starts and looks likely to be competitive in premier handicaps in the coming weeks. With a number of promising three-year-olds and a strong team of juveniles still to emerge in the coming months, David Myerscough will remain a trainer to keep on the right side of for the foreseeable future.

For more information visit www.myerscoughracing.com