Sky Bet Sunday Series Guide To The Tracks: Hamilton

Facebook:

Instagram: @hamiltonparkrc 

X: @HamiltonParkRC 

Location: Hamilton Park, Bothwell Road, Hamilton, ML3 0DW. 

Hamilton Park is a right-handed, loop course with a five-furlong run-in as part of the home straight. The track is undulating in nature, with a pronounced finishing climb. 

For races over 1m4f and beyond, the start takes place immediately in front of the public enclosures. This offers racegoers the opportunity to see the horses racing in both directions – initially away from the grandstand - at close quarters. 

Hamilton staged the third Sky Bet Sunday Series fixture of the year on Sunday 2nd June. 

Letsbefrank took time to extricate himself from a tricky position in the concluding 1m3f Handicap but, under the 5lb claimer Amie Waugh, finished off strongly to spring a 22-1 surprise. This win proving vital for Jim Goldie’s charge. The Frankel gelding adding further series wins at Thirsk and Pontefract, prevailing latterly by a short head under a determined Paul Mulrennan drive, to become the first horse in Sky Bet Sunday Series history to win the much sought-after £100,000 bonus. 

Grant Tuer, himself no stranger to Sky Bet Sunday Series success, saddled the winner (Mr Irrelevant) of the 6f Class 4 Handicap, completing a double for young Brandon Wilkie after success on Fiver Friday (Paul Traynor) 30 minutes earlier. 

Jack Channon’s Desperate Hero was a convincing winner of the feature 5f sprint, readily brushing aside Jim Goldie’s American Affair, who had been sent off 100-30 favourite bidding to supplement his Musselburgh gains. 

The other Hamilton Park winners were Catalyse (Richard Fahey), Whathappensinvegas (Ian Williams), and Dark Moon Rising (Kevin Ryan). 

Scottish trainers dominated at Hamilton Park in 2024 with Jim Goldie (17-84; 20%; +£42.79) leading the way. The pride of Lanarkshire, Jordan Electrics, was a most impressive 5-6. 

Hamilton Park also proved lucrative for Dumfries-based Iain Jardine (14-87; 16%; -£19.87), with Bringbackmemories, Catherine Chroi, Never Dark, Hour By Hour, and The Gay Blade all contributing to the tally. 

Karl Burke (9-32; 28%; -£3.02), Richard Fahey (5-32; 16%; -£4.00), and Lucinda Russell (5-42; 12%; -£3.16) fared best of the rest. Burke’s Jungle Drums was a June debut maiden winner before progressing steadily and rounding off 2024 with a Listed win in the Rockingham Stakes at York. 

Paul Mulrennan (13-51; 25%; +£5.29), and Andrew Mullen (13-74; 18%; +£2.25) were the jockeys to follow at Musselburgh in 2024, Mulrennan in the saddle aboard Jordan Electrics in the mid-summer feature, the Scottish Stewards’ Cup and Scottish-born ‘Midge’ Mullen able to rely on a steady supply of rides (and winners) from Iain Jardine. 

Oisin Orr (7-46; 15%; -£3.12) and Daniel Tudhope (6-21; 29%; -£2.08) were others to make a positive impression, while the versatile 5lb claimer Amie Waugh (6-32; 19%; +£48.00) also excelled; her win aboard Letsbefrank probably the most significant of her career. 

“Hamilton is a pan-shaped course, you go up and around the loop before coming back on yourself. Like at Newmarket, you get a bit of a dip between the downhill section and the stiff finishing climb, so you need a well-balanced horse. In the sprints, you’re heading downhill quickly through the first part of a race, but again I think that you can come from anywhere. You just need a horse who can handle a change of terrain and the ground conditions on the day. There’s no discernible draw bias nowadays which gives everyone a chance and makes things more even.” 

Jim Goldie’s Jordan Electrics (5-6; 83%) was the star performer at Hamilton Park in 2024. He progressed rapidly through the handicapping ranks after scoring in June from a mark of 78. The Dandy Man gelding notching a four-timer mid-summer, with the highlight being a game all-the-way win in the Scottish Stewards’ Cup. His season ending on a career-high mark of 101 with a fifth-place finish in the Ayr Gold Cup. 

Others to enjoy considerable success at the Glasgow venue during the year included stablemate Tafsir (3-5; 60%), while Stash The Cash (Tim Easterby), and Hour By Hour (Iain Jardine) were both a flawless 2-2.