DAVID O'MEARA, who won the York trainers' title for the first time last year, is making a bold defence of his title and, in pole position, as the Knavesmire campaign enters its final weekend fixture, is firing plenty of ammunition at the championship target this afternoon.

The North Yorkshire handler, who has sent out nine York winners this season, has no fewer than 11 runners on this afternoon's card, including four in one race.

Winners will be hard to secure on such a competitive card, but O'Meara is fancied to pull off a double with Eccleston and Regal Dan.

Eccleston, who carries top-weight in the £18,000 Bell Trailers Handicap over five furlongs, will relish the rain-softened ground and has the class to prevail in a wide-open race.

His latest Sandown effort saw him suffer a troubled passage before staying on strongly into fourth place behind Chilworth Icon. A winner at the same Esher course earlier in the season, Eccleston has been sparingly raced, and will not find this easy off a mark of 95, but he's a useful horse in the mud and it would be no surprise to see him return to winning ways.

O'Meara, who is based at Nawton near Helmsley, sets punters (and tipsters!) a poser in the Future Cleaning Services Apprentice Handicap by saddling a quartet of runners, including top weight Shouranour, the mount of his own resident rider, Josh Doyle.

Regal Dan, Rousayan and Dubai Hills also represent the stable, and preference is for the former, previously trained by Charlie Hills and a recent 23,000 guineas purchase at Newmarket Sales. He has some decent form to his credit, including a creditable third to Triple Chocolate at Newmarket in late-August, and he is quietly fancied to build on that effort here, stepping up an extra furlong, which will pose him no problems.

Richard Fahey, who held the trainers' title at York for a magnificent seven successive seasons until losing it last year, has had six winners on the course this season and is in hot pursuit of O'Meara as he attempts to wrest back the crown.

The Malton trainer, pictured, likewise has plenty of runners this afternoon and has several good chances of hitting the bullseye.

Fahey can make a good start by winning the opening TSG Nursery Handicap with George Bowen, the mount of Ryan Moore. The two-year-old, who made a winning debut at Carlisle in mid-summer, has had a patchy time of things since, but his third-placed effort behind Roossey at Ayr last time when poorly drawn, was a rock-solid effort. He deserves the chance to build on that performance.

Emerahldz also holds a good chance for Fahey in the Parsonage Hotel and Cloisters Spa Handicap over a mile and a half in which the trainer also saddles Hi There and Dolphin Village.

Jack Garrity's mount has been in excellent form for some time and was a winner at Newmarket on her latest start in mid-August. She has had a little break since, but her ability to act on soft ground will stand her in good stead on this return to action and she can make the most of bottom weight.

Fahey's booking of Ryan Moore for newcomer Artist Cry in the Brittains Vodka EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes looks significant. The colt is a son of the much-celebrated Dutch Art and, in a race where those that have run have not achieved anything spectacular, he may not need to be anything out of the ordinary to make a winning debut.

John Quinn will have welcomed the rain that fell earlier in the week on behalf of Levitate in the 'This Isn't The Stan James Champion Hurdle' Handicap over an extended mile.

A former Lincoln winner, Levitate ran a fine race on his latest start at Doncaster's St Leger meeting when finishing fifth to Championship. The second and third that day, Bronze Angel and Velox have since finished first and second in the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket.

Levitate, who was running at Doncaster after a summer break, should have benefited from the outing. He makes plenty of appeal here and is awarded the nap vote. Phillip Makin has the mount.

Selections

York today

2.00 George Bowen, 2.30 Eccleston, 3.00 Levitate (NAP), 3.30 Artist Cry, 4.05 Emerahldz, 4.40 Red Rubles, 5.10 Regal Dan.

Carlisle today

2.10 Bob's Call, 2.40 Voyage A New York, 3.10 Drop Out Joe, 3.45 Mazuri Cowboy, 4.20 Simply The West, 4.50 Final Assault, 5.20 Deadly Move.

Today's other meetings: Newton Abbot and Wolverhampton.

Tomorrow's meetings: York, Chepstow, Hexham, Musselburgh, Newmarket and Wolverhampton.