Sky Bet Sunday Series tips: Four to watch at Hamilton

SKY BET SUNDAY SERIES - Hamilton

CONNOR BEASLEY pounced in the final race of the Sky Bet Sunday Series opener at Musselburgh to snatch the first £10,000 Jockey Cup prize from the grasp of Billy Loughnane.

A fortnight on, the show rolls 50 miles west along the M8 to Hamilton for the second instalment of this year’s Series.

Beasley, whose three rides on the card include his Musselburgh scorer The Thin Blue Line, said: “I thought I had a good book of rides going to Musselburgh, so it was very pleasing to get the job done. Billy had a winner in the first race for apprentices, which obviously I couldn't ride in, and he was still ahead going into the final race.

"I left it late to catch him, but that's just the way the cards fall sometimes. Luckily for me, I had a willing partner in The Thin Blue Line and we managed to nick it from him."

Sunday shortlist

WHAT’S THE STORY (5.15)

A winter in warmer climes is just what the doctor orders for most of us as we get older, but five runs in Bahrain didn’t seem to bring out the best in What’s The Story. True, at the age of nine, he might just be slowing down anyway. But I saw enough in his fifth at Wolverhampton in March, where he shaped better than the bare result on his first run back in Britain, to suggest he still has something to offer at this level.

He’s now 5lb lower than for his Ayr win last August and 10lb below the mark from which he went down by only a neck to the marvellously gritty Gweedore at the Western Meeting. With an impressive three-from-four record in Class 3 handicaps and nicely berthed to grab the rail from the gate, Keith Dalgelish’s veteran could still show his younger rivals a clean pair of hooves at a decent price under that man Beasley.

The Inside Word: “His penultimate run in Bahrain was his best and he looked to be coming back to form last time at Wolverhampton. We’ve been lucky with draw and Keith doesn’t overcomplicate things by tying you to too many instructions.” - Connor Beasley, jockey

HUDDLE UP (5.45)

Whether it was lively ground, the introduction of eye-shields, a combination of both, or something entirely different, last season was a bit of a write-off for Huddle Up. Not that you expect a David and Nicola Barron-trained sprinter to stay down for too long.

Back on softer terrain, and with the eye wear binned, this ex-Irish five-year-old turned in his best effort so far for current connections when second to Maple Jack over 6f at Thirsk on his return three weeks ago. Apprentice ridden that day, he looks the type to benefit from the stronger handling of Sam James here.

That form has already received a boost, too, thanks to the third Hiya Maite, who won well at Wetherby next time to earn a 6lb rise. That makes Huddle Up look nicely treated here off the same mark, and 5lb lower than for his last win over 5f at Navan for Willie McCreery.

The drop back to 5f for the first time is interesting for habitual hard-puller Laheg, who is Newmarket trainer Marco Botti's sole runner on the card. Unlike Huddle Up, though, he has more to prove on the back of a limp effort at Lingfield last time.

The Inside Word: “Huddle Up has had a few stalls issues and blotted his copybook last time at Pontefract, although that wasn’t entirely his fault as the horse drawn next to him threw a wobbly and we ended up paying the penalty. He needs some cut in the ground, but both that and the trip at Hamilton should be fine.” - David Barron, joint-trainer

HEIGHTS OF ABRAHAM (6.15)

I’m keen to keep this horse onside, given Keith Dalgleish's fine record in the Sunday Series and the fact he bounced back to form with a cracking effort on his final start of last season at Ayr in September, when missing out by a fag paper to a lightly-raced Roger Varian raider.

Admittedly, he’s got a fair amount of ground to make up with Fairmac and Ravenscraig Castle on their running at Musselburgh a fortnight ago, although he didn’t help himself by racing too keenly on his return from eight months off.

He’s won second time out in two of his three seasons, and returns to his local track 8lb lower than when runner-up to Get Shirty and third to Go Forza in 0-95 handicaps last May. He appeals most of those at double-digit odds with Sky Bet, who are paying five places.

The Inside Word: “He’ll come on for the Musselburgh run. He travelled well for me there, but he was just too fresh and you’ve got to be hard fit in these races or it will tell. He’s run well at Hamilton before.” - Shane Gray, jockey

FAYLAQ (6.45)

It’s surely only a matter of time before Faylaq finds his way back into the winner’s enclosure. Formerly a class sort for William Haggas (rated 105 at peak), he gradually rediscovered his mojo with Ewan Whillans last season, following up a close fourth to Wickywickywheels in Hamilton’s Lanark Silver Bell in August with further solid runs at the South Lanarkshire track (over 1m1f) and then at York.

He was a notable eye-catcher on his debut for Jim Goldie in last Sunday’s Buttonhook Handicap over 1m5f, when repeatedly denied a clear run from the half-mile pole. Had he got one, he may well have given Postileo, a promising Roger Varian-trained stayer who was returning from a long absence, something to think about on the run to the line.

He faces nothing of that potential here, dropping into a Class 4 handicap for only the second time in his career, having won his sole previous start in this grade for Haggas.

The Inside Word: “Faylaq ran a superb race last week and just bumped into a very well-handicapped horse. Bad luck beat us, but I think we’re going into this race basically as a winner without a penalty. He’ll come on a bit for that first run back and this trip will probably suit even better.” - Jim Goldie, trainer

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