Hamilton is a nice track, not quite up to Musselburgh but more than decent. The paddock is large and joined to the preparade ring so it makes checking the horses out beforehand easy. However all the decent trees were outside of the paddock so although looked a promising adversary for ’The Dobbies’ the Plumpton crew can start cranking up the Zimmer in eager anticipation. You could not get an easier to find nor appropriately named course than Hamilton Park, no doubts about where it is and so near the M74 making getting here by car piece of the proverbial. No water to be found on this track which is similar to Salisbury in configuration and facilities, but as has a golf course opposite it means the stands are only on the one side. These only stretch to the distance so is a little cramped but the space has been very well used. There was a reservoir in the distance but not close enough to count and the deluge from the previous day had rendered many a local garden into ponds. Luckily we had a bright sunny dry day today. Not sure if the groundstaff had to work overtime to get this beyond a bog but it has to be said that despite the testing ground it did not seem to cut up badly and horses did get through it so this was a testimony to something as I thought this would be close to un-raceable today for flat horses. Defectors were not that evident so I think it raced a lot better than it initially looked although still very testing. If the paddock lawns were anything to go by it was not far off waterlogged. So whilst close to the efforts of the winter game in January I cannot see the Hercules Cup being wrested yet from Cheltenham.
There was little of architectural note here as was a bit drab but not classic Warsaw Pact for me to baulk at. The food available was very good and decently priced. You can get a top quality steak and onion barm for £4 which was brill, you can get one of those scotch pies for £2 and a very nice cup of filtered coffee for 30/-. There were plenty of places to eat, all looked good and not over the top on price. No molten fat, no deep fried mars bars, no stewed tea. One of the best on the catering value front just not enough places to chill out in. This is where for me Mussel wins and retains my favourite Scottish track title with only Kelso to go.
It was a shame the advertised deep ground frightened off a few in the feature mile race as Hamilton deserved a better turnout. In the end it was a pulsating race between three listed quality horses run at not a bad pace in the circumstances. Im sure purists liked it but it didn’t make for much of a betting heat. It would have been easy for Hamilton to lazily Chepstow style fill the card with class 6 events on a day when the great unwashed of the Glasgow area were out having a final hurrah of the summer but they didn’t so whilst not in the Newbury league for the same £14, they certainly did a good job on the entertainment front. But of particular note was the fact that in true Scottish socialist style the class barriers of multi enclosure rubbish perpetuated by the nutters in parts of Yorkshire, yes you Thirsk and Pontefract, entry was a roam where you like. That meant the so called club , grandstand and cheap bit. Good, in fact very good value. Communication via the always good value Thommo and a good quality full colour £2 (yes £2 so why do so many charge £3 then?) puts Hamilton in the upper league for this element. However given that it was family fun day an advert for spraytanned strippers at Seventh Heaven may not have been entirely appropriate.
All in all I am a little disappointed that Hamilton did not get into my awards, they try very hard, they have limited resources and all round including their concessionaires they delivered a value for money fun day when with a guaranteed bumper crowd the temptation would have been to milk it. I hope they survive and thrive because they deserve to. One of the problems was highlighted in the fact that levy contribution this year at around a quarter of million compares unfavourably with close on three times the level of approaching three quarters of a million in 2005. This underlines a very constructive but worrying article in today’s Independent by John Gosden. Here he argues that there is too much mediocre racing, that a reducing pie is being consumed by too buch bottom of the pile racing, that the customers’ are following the US trait and finding it boring and aim at something else to spend the fast diminishing leisure pound. His view is less racing and the possibility that there will be fewer tracks.If so who are the most prone to problems? Probably those with the least investment, most exposure to class 5 and 6 racing, highest running cost, highest land value and strongest local competition. If I were to guess at three most vulnerable I would say that Bath, Plumpton and Warwick based on the above criteria.
Stands at Hamilton as viewed from the freemans
Racing kicked off with an auction nursery, never the easiest of races. Only six went to post and the held up Kimbali just got up in a good close battle by a neck from Blue Shoes with the pair well clear of the rest. These included the close to 2/1 joint favourites Alices Dancer and Sardanapalus. Kimbali is well suited by the roller coaster six furlongs having won over course and distance. Previous runs, many with credit, have been over the inadequate five furlongs. Today’s run also gives notice that he acts ok in the mud. This second run in two days and I assume that this was to take in a reasonable mark so I doubt we will see him out again. May struggle if much above this 78OR. The second home Blue Shoes suits six furlongs but is a moderate sort probably better suited by sharpish courses and may not have been entirely suited by today’s course although ran up to her mark. Is generally a pretty consistent sort. No real positives but I think both favourites were well below par with favourite and previous CD Saranapalus clearly well thought of, as having run in a group race last time out, but not that good in truth as off 76 and thrashed today by a couple of modest juveniles. Best avoided I would say and is a negative.
Kimbali (grey colours) cutting trough the field to win
We then had a claimer over six furlongs for older horses and not a three year old in sight to compound things. It was won by mudlark Desert Icon (genuine) , who looked to have this in the bag at the furlong pole, with a half length victory over Bonnie Prince Blue (looks a bit of an awkward ride this one as needs holding up to the last moment but does have ability) which was fast diminishing. Again the pair were clear of the remainder which was headed by Northern Bolt. Desert Icon had previous form over a soft track and is largely consistent and based on his current mark of 68 he had every chance of winning (was levels on OR and weight today with second home Bonnie Prince Blue and two pound better off with third home Northern Bolt). Northern Bolt acts in the mud and ran right up to his mark. So all in all the first two home pretty well ran up to their marks. A couple were particularly poorly in today such as Ayr specialist Royal Blade (12 pound worse off with the winner) and light of former years Sonny Red (9 pound worse off). Nothing too positive here.
The three year old handicap was a class 6 event over a mile. It was won in a good close finish by the 11/4 favourite Smart Step by half a length. She clearly needs the mud to have any kind of chance and again battled through the ground well. On anything else is clearly ineffective especially off a mark north of today’s 53. The highly moderate bunch in pursuit was headed by Uncle Bryn who did appear to act on this ground. He had run poorly when missing the kick when a fancied favourite last time at Carlisle. Ran much better today but difficult to see him winning. The rest were well strung out headed by Phoenix Flame who is no more than a poor maiden. Nothing else of note amongst the rest.
Big race of the day was a conditions stakes which whilst only three turned up was an interesting race to say the least. Big favourite in the ring was the 10/11 Godolphin trained Secrecy. I had seen him run very well in a group race at Salisbury where I had him as a positive but thought best over seven and may see out the mile. The heavy ground today was a bit of a disadvantage but going down I did not think that his action was unsuited by the mud but that his stamina could be stretched today. As such we found second favourite Penitent having to ensure there was a reasonable gallop as Paul Hanigan needed to make sure the other two runners’ speed did not come in as the predominant factor. He had been made a lot of use of over nine furlongs when I saw him last run at Newbury recently and seemed suited by such tactics provided that the trip was right. In the event of the race we saw the two market rivals slug out a great battle up the straight with Penitent getting the verdict by a neck. He did edge right close home and did take Secrecy out and off a true line. The stewards investigated without it being an enquiry and quite rightly left the places unaltered. I think both are decent but I think would be better on good ground over this trip. I would have no hesitation in keeping Secrecy a positive provided that he is kept to the seven if there is soft ground and that Penitent is kept to running over a mile.
Odds on Secrecy just failed despite an enquiry today
The final of the Hamilton Park Apprentices Series Final was run today over nine furlongs and was a class six event. It was won by favourite and top weight Botham given a great ride by Jason Hart who is clearly a very accomplished jockey and worth taking note of whilst he has a claim. Bought down the centre of the track after turning into the straight he soon asserted and kicked on for a decisive three length victory confirming both his preference for this undulating course (past CD) and ability to relish deep ground. Second was another mudlark Croix Rouge who rates as a bit of an interest going forward as is unlikely to meet a well weighted and well ridden adversary too often in future races in the class 6 arena. He has done most of his racing in Spain and at nine is hardly likely to improve much but is on a fair mark, suits stiff tracks and is one to keep your eye out for. Of the rest, the fancied Baby Driver looks one to prefer faster ground, Spread Boy was staying on at one pace for third through tiring horses and his 66/1 price tells a fair amount as such I think he is flattered by placing and Strong Man was outpaced but appeared to stay on, this could be misleading as pedigree suggests 6-7 furlongs as optimal and there looks a tendency to put him over a mile plus. He rates a negative on that basis.
Mudlark Botham (light blue) comes through to win
The class 5 sprint over the five had a number of defectors with the muddy ground however all three deciding not to compete were the outsiders on the original tissue meant the quality was not significantly affected. In the event we had a good battle up the straight (a feature of several of today’s races) where Captain Scooby (under a 6 pound penalty for a recent CD win in the soft and in great form at present winning this on merit and one to keep an eye on as remains on a handy mark) prevailed by a neck ahead of Babich Bay (2/1 favourite and bottom weight, suited by soft ground but needs a stiff track to be seen at optimum). These two had been close up throughout and took up the battle at the furlong pole where they usurped long-time leader second favourite Tongalooma who weakened a bit once headed to finish fourth (she carried six pound penalty for a three length beating having recently won a CD in similar conditions). Of the others third home Ballinargh Girl stayed on well whilst top weight Hinton Admiral weakened quickly to be a detatched last looking like he is a bit past his best and highly tried at OR 75.
We rounded off the seven race card with a class 5 handicap which was won in pretty emphatic style by top weight Epic (prolific winning four year old who showed no ill effect of previous pulled up run when winning today, suits 1m4 on undulating tracks and today’s OR 69 is 11 pound below a winning mark last season. Clearly suited by Hamilton). Second home Pokfulham ran as well as can be expected to be second but is a decent hurdler and it will be interesting to see if he returns to the sticks soon at tight tracks such as Kelso. Favourite La Bacouetteuse was held up and in these conditions it is often difficult to reel in a lead and he didn’t quicken enough to take a hand but wasn’t disgraced in third. He needs good ground for this reason and remains on a fair mark to my mind. Mahab El Shamaal was fancied at 3/1 and has won on the soft but wandered around today looking either ill at ease on the ground or the track. Perhaps needs a stiff flat track rather than these sorts of undulations.
Notebook
Saranapalus (N)
Secrecy (P)
2 1 9/2
Fair second but then revitalised in peices when winning at Mewmarket. Good enough to win again
Penitent (P)
Strong Man (N)
3
Not a bad run at reasonable 8/1 each way odds
Captain Scooby (P)
1 15/8
Won next day bit was then jacked up 9lb off his hamilton mark and shhelve. Simce dropped a couple of pound and then third at 20/1
Epic (P)
Found himself half a stone up and as such shelved