Rory Delargy provides today's preview and he's got a couple of selections on the card at Hamilton Park.
Racing betting tips: Sunday September 20
1pt win Empirestateofmind in 16:30 Hamilton at 11/4 (General) – min 9/4
1pt e.w. Dandy's Angel in 17:00 Hamilton at 10/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3) – min 15/2
16:30 Hamilton – Class 5 Handicap (0-70) 1m1f35y
Motawared was initially put in as favourite to beat EMPIRESTATEOFMIND with the pair having fought out the finish of a similar race at Ayr on Friday. The key to both races was the deterioration of the ground, and John & Sean Quinn’s mudlark relished the change of going at Ayr to gain his first win in a year, crucially showing more resolve in the finish than the runner-up, who travelled well into the race but couldn’t match the winner late on.
On paper, a four length turnaround should allow Motawared to reverse the form, but he has a habit of settling for second in his races, having done so on his last three starts in search of an elusive first win.
Empirestateofmind gets just a 4lb penalty as he’s an eight-year-old now, and he is very well handicapped on last year’s form, and even under a penalty he’s effectively 13lb lower than when winning at Ayr last August, while he was beaten on his only start over this C&D, that came off a mark of 92 and he finished a fine second to prove himself here. Another positive is that he has a remarkable record when turned out quickly.
He’s raced four times in his career when turned out within a week of a previous win and has won all four of those races, making him impossible to oppose now back in form.
The market has 'corrected' itself this morning but the current 11/4 still looks a reasonable price.
17:00 Hamilton – Class 6 Handicap (0-65) 1m4f15y
I feel I’ve spent most of my life trying to convince David Massey not to make DANDY'S ANGEL a bet in low-grade handicaps and occasionally suggesting that if he likes the daughter of Dandy Man so much, he should consider spending a week with her on the Algarve, which might be cheaper than backing her every time she runs in a 0-65 at Beverley.
But how the tables have turned. It’s Sunday, so Massey is giving thanks to his creator (odd, as he says he’s a self-made man), and I have free rein to pick my own selections. And yet….here I am making the case for Dandy’s Angel like he has a gun to my head.
In fairness, the Massey angle with Dandy’s Angel is to back her at Beverley, which he’s convinced she loves, although one win from her last 18 starts there might convince you otherwise. She does always stay on up the final hill and has snatched enough places at big prices to keep that dream alive, but my view is that she is game but slow and simply needs an attritional race to be seen at her best, and Hamilton provides an ideal test for her when it gets wet.
14342231144464431117532 are her lifetime form figures on soft or heavy ground, improving to 421431117532 in the autumn, and to 11431 on ground described as heavy rather than soft; she was back to form when second to Uncle Liam over 1m3f here on her latest start and is better off at the weights with the winner.
Of more significance is the fact the ground has turned heavy this morning as she will relish that. In truth, Uncle Liam may also be as good on this ground as soft, but he’s yet to win on heavy, whereas the selection has won three from five on the ground and is now 7lb below her lowest winning mark on the surface. Go on, then, David – you can have another swing.
Preview posted 10:00 BST on 20/09/26
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