Hamilton Sunday 8th May

 

A competitive race with the Going described as Good to Soft, a dry day but my sources suggest a fair dollop of rain on Thursday and early part of Friday so it's likely to ride on the soft side of Good. An undulating Course, the start for this race sees them go immediately uphill, then down a steep descent and finally the toughest climb to the finish in the UK and the TV pictures don't really show how steep it is. So I'm looking for a race fit horse, proven at the trip, capable with some cut in the ground off a nice mark.

 

Gweedore is the one to beat on form as its won 5 of its last 7 starts, the marks gone from 75 to 85 and at around 6/1 in a competitive race it may be worth a saver bet BUT I'm more confident of others today. King Triton has solid unexposed form but no real evidence Going wise so I'll take that on at the price, similarly A Boy Named Ivy has form at a mile but not in this sort of Going so I'll pass it by today and Stately Home won last time but is penalised 6lbs and I'm not sure what it beat there either. 

 

Eetee is impossible to fathom on handicap debut, the connections are to be feared at all times and it would not be a surprise if it ran well but the sum parts of known form don't entice me today. Cosmos Ray won last time, is up 2lbs and another for O'Meara but all bets form is on Good ground. Jump The Gun has Course and Distance winning form and place form here, it may just need the run though based on previous evidence but would be a big danger if fit and if you watch on TV and they say in Ring it looks ready, one for a quick £2 on the exchanges for sure just b4 the race.

 

My investment though will be on MOSTAWAA who has had 3 runs so will be fit, good form at 1 mile on soft Going off marks around 80 and the booking of SDS off a mark of 81 looks cracking each way value. HARSWELL DUKE has form at the trip and on soft too, its also race fit and off a nice mark for Roger Fell and Ben Curtis. If there is one for a shrapnel bet at big odds then CASSY O for Tim Easterby and David Allen ticks every box with the run at a similarly stiff Carlisle off 83 and the blinkers just to settle the horse eye-catching at the likely price.

 

 

-------

 

We had a big write up and confident tip in this with the soft ground French form for JUSTUS who was declared a non runner at around 8.00am.

 

The other main selection is CAPTAIN HADDOCK who has Course and Distance winning form has had a run and should have no excuses in the Going. There is a shrapnel bet too on CLOUD THUNDER, it's shrapnel as we have to take fitness on trust on seasonal debut but the horse has run well fresh on a couple of occasions to win and place and with SDS booked the logic is that they'll have convinced him the horse is ready to run to its merits.