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CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS AT HAMILTON PARK NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 4)(2yo) Winner £4,533 2 runners 1m65y Good RUK
Can anyone explain what the point of this race is, wouldn’t it make sense to have minimum field sizes of at least 5 for declarations and where less than 5 are declared, cancel the bloody thing?
I agree. Ditching that race and splitting the maiden would have made a degree of sense. I was under the impression the BHA tried to avoid two runner races, but I assume they re-open the race and if nothing else wants to run that’s it.
I believe that in the USA they have ‘reserve races’ so that any races that don’t fill can be replaced.
I shall be going to Hamilton this evening, but I’m not very chuffed that I’m effectively getting a 5 race meeting.
Rob
A mile for a 2-y-o at Hamilton on the first of August is a hell of a test of stamina!
Colin
Part of the problem is that the other trainers know in advance that in a 2yo 1m Novice Stakes at Hamilton at the beginning of August that they will get beaten up by a Mark Johnston inmate.
edit Good grief! I’ve just noticed that the sole opponent is by Kyllachy.
Looks a very tricky contest to find a winner in though!
As has been said you will get either Mark Johnston having one of his potential middle distance runners in it or something from Newmarket mopping it up.
Fair play to the other trainer as he will get a good pay day for a horse with not much ability and it gives the owners a good evening out.
Who knows, If the fav rears up then it could get interesting.
I’m 8 miles away from the racecourse and although it’s bright here now there was a very heavy shower about 2 and a half hours ago… I notice the course website has no up-to-date information on the going.
The going was originally quoted as ‘good to soft’, but there was intermittent rain and I got the impression even after first that there was more give. The going was changed to ‘soft’ after the third race.
There was a serious pace bias throughout the meeting, with the first five winners disputing the lead all the way or making all. After that the sixth race was ‘an accident waiting to happen’ and the leaders duly went off too quick and got swallowed up on the incline.
It may be worth keeping an eye out for some of the hold-up horses that were beaten as the chances are the form can be put aside.
Rob
"A mile for a 2-y-o at Hamilton on the first of August is a hell of a test of stamina! "
Yes once again little thought for the horse.
Its funny Tom. You want horses to run for larger sums of money than 2k and then when a 5k race comes along you suggest its mean on the horses…and owners should avoid it.
"A mile for a 2-y-o at Hamilton on the first of August is a hell of a test of stamina! "
Yes once again little thought for the horse.
Alternatively, it’s a lot of thought for those horses which lack the speed to win over sprint distances.
Rob
"A mile for a 2-y-o at Hamilton on the first of August is a hell of a test of stamina! "
Yes once again little thought for the horse.
Alternatively, it’s a lot of thought for those horses which lack the speed to win over sprint distances.
Rob
Quite so, Rob, and a pox on the houses of any trainer complaining inadequate opportunities exist for their slower juveniles (much in the same way as some bemoan the lack of races to run their decent novice chasers in whilst letting tailormade contests cut up to three or four runners).
This novices’ stakes was actually a new event, replacing a 3-4yo claimer over the same C&D. I’d sooner they give it another chance next year, maybe in the hope of a drier surface, before rushing to draw stumps on it.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I doubt if the going or the race distance were the main reason for the lack of runners. There were 12 entries originally, the same as a later race on the card which managed nine declared.
But if you look back to Thursday morning when the decs were made, Royston Ffrench and Paul Hanagan were among the jockeys already booked to ride in the race.
But on Saturday, Ffrench had six rides at Doncaster and Hanagan went to Goodwood – no way either could have reached Hamilton in time and the same would apply to almost every senior jockey in the country. From past experience, I know how reluctant trainers are to use jockeys they don’t know, especially on inexperienced horses trying a new trip. So I reckon the lack of suitable riders was probably why we ended up with so few runners.
Unless there’s an afternoon meeting at Carlisle, Mussleburgh or Ayr, that’s always going to be an issue for a Hamilton evening meeting. Look at the riders who did appear at Saturday’s meeting and you’ll see the lack of senior names.
I can relate the history of one Graded novice chase – the Kingmaker at Warwick – that regularly struggled to attract a decent field. The reason was simple. Ascot raced on the same day, the senior jockeys went there and trainers wouldn’t run their Arkle hopes with a second string jockey on their final trial run. On one occasion, the sponsor even paid for a helicopter to transport jockeys from Ascot and Warwick put the race late on the card to accomodate them, but the race then didn’t get full TV coverage, so the sponsor lost out another way. No suprise that the race was eventually dropped.
AP
AP
You have a fair point about jockeys travelling and the effect it had on Hamilton Saturday evening. However, it didn’t stop Phillip Makin riding the Michaell Dods trained Barney McGrew in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood and then flying from Southampton to Carlisle before riding in 4 races at Hamilton, including two winners for Dods.
Rob
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