HAMILTON Park opens its new season with a bang this afternoon when two of the seven races are live on ITV.
First is the £30,000 Totepool Tangerine Trees Conditions Stakes, followed by the Totepool Buttonhook Handicap which is worth £20,000.
The former boasts a decent roll of honour with the 2014 winner Mecca’s Angel going on to capture back-to-back victories in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
AN exciting, competitive two-day spring festival launches the 2017 Flat season at Ayr Racecourse tomorrow and Tuesday.
There are seven races scheduled for each day and a host of leading northern trainers will have runners including Keith Dalgleish, Jim Goldie, Iain Jardine, Mark Johnston, John Quinn, Tim Easterby, Richard Fahey and Linda Perratt.
Jockey Paul Hanagan, who was leading rider at Ayr for several years before moving south in 2012, returns to the track now he is reunited with Fahey and will be hoping to be among the winners.
The feature race tomorrow is a Class 3 mile handicap at 4.30pm and Scottish trainers have a strong hand with Jardine’s Hibou, Nicholas T, a recent Doncaster winner for Goldie, and Mike Smith’s Sophie P all holding entries.
The opening day’s action concludes with an amateur riders’ handicap, also over a mile, and leading amateurs Simon Walker, Serena Brotherton and Carol Bartley all have mounts.
Tuesday’s principal race is a seven-furlong handicap at 4.30pm where an interesting runner is Tadaany from the David O’Meara yard with Danny Tudhope riding.
The first race on both days is at 2pm with gates open at noon.
THE Kelso campaign has flown by and Wednesday sees the penultimate fixture of the season.
The appreciative crowd recently enjoyed Aintree hero One For Arthur on parade and this time they will have the chance to acclaim Highland National winner Boric.
Trained in neighbouring Northumberland by Simon Waugh – a trainer to keep an eye on – he was partnered to victory by Callum Bewley and it was a win that sealed the Northern Conditionals’ Title for the Scots-born pilot.
Bewley, son of Jedburgh handler Rob, is one of several promising young riders under the wing of Brian Harding.
IT was great to see the Borderlescott colours of Scots owners Jimmy Edgar and William Donaldson back in the winners’ enclosure at Musselburgh on Thursday night.
The latest horse to sport their blue-and-red silks is Royal Brave who followed up his Easter Saturday course and distance success in some style.
I hear the hat-trick attempt is going to be at Wetherby over five-and-a-half furlongs.
Don’t forget to check out our Twitter feed (@ScottishRacing) and www.scottishracing.co.uk for all the latest news
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