A Grand Day Out in Lanarkshire

Right, pull up a stool and listen close, because Hamilton Park is serving up a cracking seven-race National Hunt card this Friday afternoon, and there's enough here to keep the pulse racing from the first hurdle to the last fence. The going is Good, Good to Firm in places — and that's the kind of surface that'll sort the men from the boys, or more precisely, the stayers from the flat-track bullies who don't fancy doing it the hard way.

Good to Firm in October is no joke, particularly over jumps. It puts a premium on horses with a clean jumping technique — you don't want a horse crashing through the top of a hurdle when the ground's riding quick — and it absolutely rewards those with a bit of class in their pedigree rather than sheer brute force. Keep that firmly in mind as we work through the Hamilton Park racecard for today.

Seven races, decent prize money across the board, and a mix of novice hurdlers finding their feet and seasoned handicappers who know every blade of grass at this track. Let's get stuck in.

The Feature Race: Jewson Hexham Handicap Hurdle (14:48, Class 3)

The richest race on the card at £15,300 and the one that deserves the most of your attention is the 2m 48y Class 3 handicap hurdle at 14:48. Seven runners, a tight spread of ratings from 98 to 119, and a field packed with course and distance winners. This is proper competitive handicap hurdle racing, and I love it.

Moveit Like Minnie heads the weights at 119 and comes in with the [D] flag — a course winner at Hamilton, which counts for plenty on a track that rewards those who know the layout. Sam Twiston-Davies takes the ride for the family yard, and the Twiston-Davies operation knows a thing or two about placing a horse for a race like this. At nine years old she's no spring chicken, but on Good ground she's shown she can travel well and she's clearly in the form of her life if connections are pitching her into a Class 3 off the top of the weights.

Mr McLoughlan at 118 is the one I'd be most worried about if I were in the Moveit Like Minnie camp. Brian Hughes — the man himself, as reliable as a good pint of Guinness — takes the ride for Adrian Keatley, and the [D] flag tells you this horse has already won at Hamilton. Six years old, still improving, and with Hughes in the saddle on a surface that suits a horse that jumps well and travels sweetly. He's my best bet of the day. Back him without a second thought.

Winds of Winter at 110 carries both the [C] and [D] flags — course AND distance winner — and at 8 years old is the kind of battle-hardened handicapper that thrives on quick ground. George Bewley's yard is ticking along nicely and Jonathon Bewley knows the horse inside out. He's the each-way shout if you fancy a bit of value.

Opening Salvos: The Novices' Hurdle (13:38)

The David Clarke Memorial Novices' Hurdle kicks things off and it's a fascinating little puzzle. Ride Like A Girl is the form pick on ratings at 107, trained by Jamie Snowden and ridden by Gavin Sheehan — a jockey who absolutely does not get on a horse without believing it can win. The [D] flag adds confidence; she's already proven she can handle this trip. On Good to Firm ground she should be moving smoothly through the gears.

Dark Tide Rising for Tom George catches the eye despite being unrated. The [D] flag is there, and Tom George doesn't send horses north from Gloucestershire for the fresh air. Kielan Woods takes the ride — a sharp, intelligent jockey who rides with his head as much as his hands. Keep a very close eye on the market for this one before you commit.

Whin Cover is an interesting runner with Conor O'Farrell in the saddle. Unrated, which means we're guessing a little, but O'Farrell is a jockey who makes horses jump well, and on a quick surface that's exactly what you want. Each-way at a big price? Worth a small tickle.

The Afternoon Handicaps: Value Hunting

The 15:23 Class 4 handicap hurdle over 2m 4f is a ten-runner affair and a proper minefield, but Coded Welder at the top of the weights with Sean Bowen aboard is hard to ignore. Bowen is in the form of his life and Cian Collins has been placing horses cleverly this season. Top-rated at 111, and if he jumps fluently on this ground, he'll take a power of beating.

In the 14:13 novices' limited handicap, Drumlee Myth heads the weights at 88 for Sean McParlan's yard, with Mr N. McParlan — a family affair — taking the ride. Seven years old and still novice-eligible tells its own story, but the rating suggests there's ability there. Conor Rabbitt on Knockeranna Rose is worth watching too — Rabbitt is a jockey on the way up and Susan Corbett's yard has been quietly consistent.

The 15:58 Class 5 over nearly 2m 8f is a stamina test, and on Good to Firm ground I'd be leaning towards Stylish Recruit — the [C,D] flag is the clincher. Course and distance form on similar going? Sandy Thomson's horse knows the job. Nathan Moscrop gets a couple of rides on the card today and is always worth following when he's on a horse with a bit of form behind it.

The two chases at 16:33 and 17:08 round off the card. In the 16:33, Soldier In Mayo for Donald McCain catches the eye — six years old, still relatively unexposed over fences, and Theo Gillard is a capable conditional who rides with confidence. Jack Sprat is a non-runner, which opens the race up considerably. In the 17:08, Super Citizen at 12 years old is the old soldier of the piece, but Brian Hughes on board and the [D] flag means you can't dismiss him. Twelve-year-olds don't turn up at racecourses for nothing.

Best Bets & Ones to Watch

  • Best Bet: Mr McLoughlan (14:48) — Brian Hughes, course winner, improving six-year-old. Back him.
  • Each-Way Value: Winds of Winter (14:48) — Course and distance winner, Bewley knows him well, capable of running into the money at a price.
  • Novice to Follow: Dark Tide Rising (13:38) — Tom George doesn't waste a journey. Watch the market.
  • Handicap Banker: Coded Welder (15:23) — Sean Bowen in top form, top weight but top class.
  • Stamina Shout: Stylish Recruit (15:58) — Course and distance form is the golden ticket over the longer trip.

It's a grand card at a grand track. Get yourself a decent price, don't get greedy, and enjoy the racing. See you in the winners' enclosure — or at the very least, at the bar. Sláinte.