Thursday horse racing tips: Hamilton picks from Dave Nevison

Our resident website tipster Dave Nevison likes three runners who look handicapped to go close on Thursday at Hamilton Park. Enjoy further evening action from Leopardstown and Chelmsford live on Racing TV.

3.00 Hamilton: Shahnaz

It is really easy to make a case for Shahnaz here and I fancy this four-year-old filly will go very close indeed.

She has run herself into form and definitely ran her best race of the season so far at Pontefract last time when staying on into sixth. She won three times last season once the cheekpieces were applied and they are on here for the first time this term which looks obviously significant. Laura Coughlan - on board for all three wins last term - keeps the mount here and trip and ground hold no negatives.

Gemma Tutty is a trainer I like and her horses are generally running better than recent finishing positions might lead us to believe, while Shahnaz seems to have dropped very quickly in the handicap and finds herself 4lbs lower than her last win from August last season. Hopefully there will be a pace for her to run at from the bottom of the Hamilton hill.

3.35 Hamilton: Khanjar

William Haggas doesn’t waste many bullets when he sends his bluebloods to run in Scotland and Khanjar is only 2lb higher than his Haydock win last September.

Khanjar’s season went from hero to zero in one race when he went off 9-2 favourite for the Ayr Gold Cup on his subsequent start last autumn and he finished nearly last with no immediate excuses offered up. He ran just as bad at Redcar shortly afterwards and was then put away for the winter.

It did look as though he may be on the road to recovery when he reappeared with a promising run at York last month. He is in the Wokingham and will need to win this to justify being considered for Royal Ascot, so this typically looks a good bit of placing.

5.15 Hamilton: Prince Achille

He has been raised just 2lb for his narrow victory last time and is still weighted 5lb below the mark of 57 he was placed in an amateur event last season.

Prince Achille spent last season giving race-riding experience for the stable amateurs and didn’t manage a win despite running well on occasions. His status as a longstanding maiden was probably therefore overstated and, after a promising return, he went on to win as favourite at Carlisle last month.

He will definitely get the pace he wants here and it would be no surprise if he proved to be well-handicapped now that he has stronger handling this season.