Hi all,
It’s the start of the Sky Bet Sunday Series at Hamilton this afternoon and this innovative series of meetings which started last year gets underway with big fields attracted by some excellent prize money for the level of racing. There’s even a £100,000 on offer for the first jockey to ride seven winners across the six fixtures. That will be a tough ask but not impossible and offers a bit of spice to proceedings.
The highest quality action is across the Irish Sea at Leopardstown. Its Derby Trial Day there, with the feature being the Group 3 Derby Trial (4.35). There are also two other Group 3 contests on the Leopardstown card.
ITV are covering all seven races from Hamilton and three races from Leopardstown including the Derby Trial as part of a bumper ten race teatime programme.
It’s a great finale to an excellent couple of weeks of racing. Oh, and it all starts again on Wednesday with the start of my favourite of the spring flat festivals: York’s Dante meeting.
In today’s preview I have had a look at five races at Hamilton and five over at Leopardstown.
Hamilton
4:48 – The likeable Gweedore made it 7 wins from 26 starts when winning when successful at Musselburgh 22-days ago. Only seems to do enough when winning so a 2lb rise in the weights might not be an issue for the top-weight who drops in class here. King Triton looked ahead of his mark when a 2 ¼ length 3rd of 14 in a Class 2 handicap at York’s Ebor Festival. He returned from an 8-month absence with a promising enough effort when a 4 ¼ length 3rd of 8 at Ripon 15-days ago. Should be sharper for his Ripon reappearance and can surely win a race or two off his present mark.
5:18 – Rayong took advantage of a declining mark to win at Pontefract last time. The handicapper has hiked him up 7lb for that success but the 5-year-old remains as on a competitive mark given, he won off 93 as a 3-year-old.
5:48 – Aasser is sure to be popular after his handicap debut win at Lingfield last month. Up 5lb for his Lingfield win but he’s only had four career starts so is open to further improvement. He makes his turf debut here and if he proves as effective on grass as the synthetics is the one to beat. Lethal Levi a stablemate Aasser is more experienced and made it 3 wins from 10 starts when beating seven rivals at Yarmouth 19-days ago. He showed a good battling attitude at the finish to prevail last time. Despite that trainer Karl Burke puts the first time cheekpieces on today. The quicker the ground the better so if the drying conditions continue, he’s very much in the mix despite a 4lb rise in the weights.
6:18 – Captain Haddock won over C&D last summer and the Amateur Riders Derby at Epsom in August off 1lb lower. The 5-year-old returned from a 3-month layoff with a 5 ¾ length 3rd of 13 at Doncaster in March. The return to C&D is a positive for the gelding who should be there or thereabouts.
6:48 – Life On The Rocks improved for the return to a sound surface when getting off the mark at the 7th attempt at Ayr (1m 2f) 13-days ago. Today’s 1f longer trip should suit, as will the forecast strong pace. He’s been raised 4lb for that win so likely needs to improve again but he’s capable of better and gets the first time cheekpieces today. Where’s Jeff has twice won around here in the past, albeit over shorter but does stay 1m 4f and he’s at his best going right-handed. Will have needed the run when 5th of 9 at Haydock 15-days ago and the 7-year-old has to be of interest back down to his last winning mark.
Leopardstown
3:35 – Enthrallment was unlucky in the run when a neck 2nd of 10 on handicap debut over here over 1m 2f last month. He’s an improving handicapper and deserves to be favourite. However, the Dermot Weld has been struggling for winners in the previous two weeks, albeit they did have a winner at Naas yesterday. Yashin shaped with promise when a 6-length 4th of 17 in maiden (1m) here last month. Steps up to 1m 4f for his handicap debut and must be respected.
4:05 – Cornelscourt Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies) – 1m
Agartha a high-class juvenile she returned from a 6-month absence to finish a length 2nd of 11 to Homeless Songs in 1000 Guineas Trial here over 7f. She was giving 3lb to the winner that day and the return to a mile should suit her. The one to beat but normally front running filly could face competition for the lead.
Panama Red improved to win a Listed race over 7f here on her final juvenile start. She finished 4 lengths behind Agartha on her seasonal return here and is 3lb worse off at the weights today. Not ruled out with that run under her belt and she shaped last time that a mile would suit.
Agartha’s biggest danger could well be the Aidan O’Brien trained filly History. The daughter of Galileo got off the mark at the third attempt last season when beating 15 rivals in a Gowran Park maiden last September. Looks open to further improvement as a 3-year-old.
4:35 – Derby Trial Stakes (Group 3) – 1m 2f
The race of the day and there is a possibility that a Derby contender could emerge. Stone Age a very useful juvenile, placing in a Group 2 here and a Group 1 at Saint-Cloud, showed he had trained on from two to three when comfortably getting off the mark in a Navan maiden in March. Open to plenty of progress as 3-year-old and could well give Aidan O’Brien another Derby Trial success.
French Claim looked much improved when comfortably beating four rivals at Cork on his seasonal return. He might prove even better at 1m 4f, as the season progresses, but he fully deserves to take his chance here and could prove smart.
The Dermot Weld trained Duke De Sessa won a Group 3 here on his final juvenile start, had French Claim 2 ½ length back in fourth that day, He made an encouraging seasonal reappearance when a 3 ¾ length 3rd of 9 to Derby hopeful Piz Badile in the Ballysax Stakes over C&D last month. The runner-up Buckaroo has gone onto win since and is now a leading contender for the Irish 2,000 Guineas, so that Ballysax form looks solid.
Atomic Jones can’t be discounted on his seasonal return either. A winner of a Curragh maiden on is racecourse debut before following up in a Group 2 (1m) here in September. He might have been a lucky winner that day as he got a clear run to win on the outside. He had Stone Age head back in second that day but that one now has race fitness on his side and proved he stays 1m 2f.
5:05 – Amethyst Stakes (Group 3) – 1m
All three of Real Appeal’s wins have come here at Leopardstown on good ground. He posted a career best on RPR’s when winning a Group 2 over C&D last September. That success means the 5-year-old has a 5lb penalty to carry on his seasonal return. He might need the run but he did win first time up last season.
There’s one 3-year-old in the field and it’s the Aidan O’Brien trained Ivy League. A son of Galileo he followed up Dundalk maiden win last month with a comfortable handicap debut success at 15-days ago. He’s clearly an improving colt and could complete the hat trick despite this rise in class. Aidan O’Brien is 0-8 1 place with his runners in the race since 2009.
Georgeville won a Listed race here over 1m 2f on his final start over 2021. Prior to that the 6-year-old had finished a 1 ½ length 6th of 14 to Real Appeal over C&D and he gets 5lb from the winner today. Maybe needed the run on his seasonal return when only a 4 ¼ length 8th of 9 to Layfayette in a Group 3 (1m 2f) at the Curragh last month. He ran well for a long way and looked set to go close but faded between the final two furlongs. Not sure to be suited by the drop back to a mile but should at least be sharper today.
Patrick Sarsfield a big improver in 2020 including winning a Group 3 here over 1m 1f and ended that season with second in a Group 2 at Longchamp. Started last season with a couple of runner-up effort including a ½ length 2nd of 13 in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot. He made a decent return to action when a 3 ¾ length 4th of 7 to Layfayette at Naas. Might need further than mile these days but also can’t be dismissed here.
5:35 – This likely revolves around the improving Moracana and Entropy despite the fact they are drawn out wide here.The pair were first and second in a C&D handicap last month. Moracana was making her handicap debut that day and was strong at the finish to get up close to home. She’s been raised 8lb for her win and is 4lb worse off than the runner-up. That said she’s lightly raced for a 4-year-old and is 2-2 over C&D and likely capable of better. Entropy was making his debut for Joseph O’Brien and although the filly seemed to see out the race better, he may have just needed the run that day, his first for five months. He’s only had five career starts so like Moracana he’s unexposed and will surely be placed to win races. At a bigger price you can give Tooreen Angel a chance. The filly has yet to win on turf, both career wins have come at Dundalk, but has form that gives her an each-way claims. She put in a career best on grass when a 1 ¾ length 3rd of 13 at Cork last month. The first three pulled nicely clear of the rest which means the handicapper has raised her 6lb for that performance.
I will be back on Wednesday for the first day of York’s Dante Festival so let’s hope I can sign off with a profitable day.
Betting Advice:
Hamilton
4:48 – 1pt win – King Triton – 6/1 @ Bet365
5:18 – 1pt win – Rayong – 5/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
5:48 – 1pt win – Lethal Levi – 6/1 @Bet365
6:18 – 1pt win – Captain Haddock – 12/1 @ Bet365
6:45 – 1pt win – Where’s Jeff – 11/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Cheers
John