SPEAK candidly to the majority of trainers, and they’ll all admit they’re looking for “that horse”.

It’s all very well hauling yourself out of bed at five in the morning to put the first lot through their paces, before hurtling down the motorway for a class six seller in front of a handful of hardy spectators, but the dream is that “that horse” comes along to open the door to places you never quite imagined you’d be welcome.

Instead of Redcar, perhaps you can put on your finery and find yourself in the paddock at Royal Ascot. Never mind Lingfield, having discovered “that horse”, you can suddenly start targeting Longchamp.

Michael Dods is not someone prone to hyperbole, and like most trainers, the Piercebridge-based handler is reluctant to make bold predictions about a four-year-old that remains completely untested at the very highest level.

It’s the glint in his eye that gives it away though. Mention Mecca’s Angel, the sprinter that finished last season with a Listed success and a Group Three triumph to her name, and it’s clear that Dods is hoping he has discovered “that horse”. By the end of the Flat season that began at the weekend, it will be clear just how good his stable star is.

“She’s got the potential to be very good, but at the moment, that’s all it really is, potential,” he said. “We knew she was good at two, and even from her first two runs at Thirsk and Haydock, you could see there was a lot of ability there.

“She did very well last season and we’re obviously hoping she’ll have trained on again. We’ve got targets, but it’s difficult because she’s got a penalty for winning the Group Three so that dictates the type of races we’re going to have to be looking at.

The Northern Echo:

“We’ll be looking at the Palace House (at Newmarket on May 2), but the ground down there can be quite quick and she won’t run anywhere that has firm in the going description. Her ideal ground is good-to-soft really, and we’ll be looking for something close to that.

“She’ll be entered at Ascot and Goodwood, and for all the big sprints over the course of the season, but they’re a fair way off yet. Let’s get her back onto the racecourse and see how she’s looking, then we can go from there.”

Last September’s triumph in Newbury’s Dubai International Airport World Trophy, on ground that was extremely soft, marked the high point of Mecca’s Angel’s journey so far, and suggested that the filly boasts a strong constitution to go along with her blistering speed.

The plan is for Paul Mulrennan to continue his partnership with her this season, but the jockey also rides the Bryan Smart-trained Moviesta, who is likely to be contesting a number of the same races.

“Paul will find himself with a difficult decision to make,” said Dods. “The ride is his if he wants it, but I’ve told him that he’ll have to make a choice at the declaration stage to be fair to everyone else. If he doesn’t ride Mecca’s Angel, Connor Beasley will take over the ride – and we’d have every confidence in that arrangement.”

Beasley, who hails from Spennymoor, is one of a growing number of success stories to have emanated from Dods’ Denton Hall yard in the last couple of years. The 20-year-old rode out his claim last season, and now finds himself as one of the most in-demand young jockeys in the North.

His progress owes much to Dods’ unshakeable faith in him, a trust that has been royally repaid. Beasley partnered Spinatrix as she claimed valuable six-furlong handicaps at Ripon and York last season, and will be back on board the seven-year-old as she steps up in class this year.

“She did great last season, but she’s rated 109 now so that’s going to dictate where she goes,” said Dods. “She can’t run in anything at Ripon any more, which is a shame, so we’re probably going to start her in fillies Listed races and then try to step up to filly Group Threes. We might look to start her off in a race at Nottingham over five furlongs.”

Dods has spent the last few weeks plotting campaigns for a number of his horses, and after nurturing a strong crop of two-year-olds last season, he is looking forward to seeing how his former juveniles perform at the age of three.

“We had some good three-year-olds last year, but just didn’t have enough of them,” he said. “The way the races are planned, there’s a lot of opportunities for three-year-olds now, so you have to have a decent group of them.

“We’re hoping the current group of three-year-olds will be the best we’ve had. We’ve got horses like Alans Pride, Buccaneers Vault, Dragon King and Sea Wolf who all won as two-year-olds, and who should all be competitive again this season.

“If you forced me to pick a couple, I’d probably go for Alans Pride and a horse called Get Knotted that we really like. He won over six furlongs last year, but he should turn out to be a miler.”

Some established older performers will be back for another campaign, with the likes of Barney McGrew, Half A Billion, My Name Is Rio and Trinity Star all flagged up as potential winners once their handicap mark settles at a viable level.

There is also a new crop of two-year-olds to test, with Richter Scale and Dark Command pinpointed as two youngsters that could feature in the first half of the season.

Last year, Dods finished with 38 winners, and the hope is that this year will be even more successful, even though sights are being set higher.

“It doesn’t get any easier to train winners, and some of the horses are obviously going to be stepping up in class,” he said. “But we’re lucky to have a very supportive group of owners and we continue to go from strength to strength.

“I’m enjoying it as much as I ever have, and it helps when you’ve got some good horses to take racing.” And with that, the glint in the eye returned.

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RESPECTED racing broadcaster and journalist Alastair Down will officially open the Middleham Stables Open Day on Friday.

Down, who was the face of Channel Four Racing for many years and is now a leading writer on the Racing Post, will launch the annual Good Friday event at 9.15am.

The popular open day, which is now in its 22nd year, attracted more than 6,000 visitors in 2014 and raised more than £18,000 for local and national charities.

“It is a great honour to be opening Middleham’s special day,” said Down. “My association with racing in Yorkshire goes back 40 years, when I was a student at York University, and I have many happy memories of racing in the county, as well as many friends amongst Yorkshire’s trainers and jockeys.”

The Open Day will also feature a star appearance from popular chaser Mister McGoldrick, one of the icons of Yorkshire’s National Hunt racing scene.

Mister McGoldrick, who won eight races at Wetherby during a remarkable career, was retired three years ago, but he will be the guest of honour at trainer Patrick Holmes’ Spigot Lodge yard in his role as an ambassador for the New Beginnings racing charity.

The aim of New Beginnings is to provide a safe and supportive environment for ex-racehorses to be rehabilitated and re-homed after they have retired from racing.

Tickets for the Open Day cost £10 for adults, and include a souvenir brochure and a chance to win a prize in the programme draw. Admission for accompanied children is free.

The yards are open from 9.30am to either 1pm or 2.30pm. Free parking is available in Middleham or Leyburn, with free bus links between car parks and the outlying stables. This includes Ann and George Duffield’s successful Sun Hill Stables at Constable Burton, which will be open between 12 noon and 4pm.

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REDCAR RACECOURSE stage their opening meeting of the year on Monday, with over 5,000 people expected to attend the Tees Valley course for an Easter special.

A strong seven-race card will be accompanied by a Mad Hatter’s Easter Bonnet parade, which will feature characters from Alice In Wonderland.

The first race is scheduled for 12.40pm, and for the eighth year running, Redcar has frozen its admission fees, making it the most affordable paid admission racecourse in the country.

General manager Amy Fair said: “It's no secret that Tees Valley is facing economic challenges - that's why we're providing a family day out for £10 or less, which is for two adults with children aged 17 and under.”

The racecourse has been investing its facilities over the winter, with the parade ring fencing and Petch Stand windows having recently been replaced.

Sedgefield Racecourse stage their own Easter raceday on Sunday, with a seven-race jumps card getting underway at 2pm.

As well as the racing, there will be a meet and greet and performance from The Ice Princess and Friends, with band Lisbon performing after the final race.

Admission starts at £13 for adults, with accompanied children under the age of 18 going free.