Brown hopes Trading Punches can knockout rivals in Hamilton feature
Trading Punches is looking to deliver a knockout blow to his rivals in today’s feature race at Hamilton.
David Brown’s Nottinghamshire raider is set to go toe to toe with six rivals in the D M Hall Chartered Surveyors Cadzow Castle Handicap over 1m 3f.
Newark-based Brown, who has a decent record at the Lanarkshire track, said: “He wasn’t beaten far on his two allweather starts so far this year and we’re hoping he will stay the longer trip. That recent second was over 1m 2f at Newcastle so hopefully he will get home alright.”
Opposition to Trading Punches include Iain Jardinetrained top-weight Jabbaar who completely fluffed the start before scoring comfortably at Chester on Saturday.
Jardine is also represented by Restive from the opposite end of the handicap, while Jim Goldie saddles recent May Musselburgh scorer Theglasgowwarrior.
Keith Dalgleish is also double-handed with Corton Lad and Artful Rogue, who is running for his new connections for just the third time after being bought out of Amanda Perrett’s stable for 11,000gns last October.
Logi, who boasts a win and a second at Hamilton Park’s opening two fixtures over course and distance, bids to keep his good early-season form going under Jamie Gormley in the Lockton Companies Handicap.
Meanwhile, Magical was the most notable absentee from the list of nine declarations for the Investec Oaks at Epsom tomorrow.
The Aidan O’brien-trained fillysufferedasetbackontuesday and a decision whether or not to run was left until the last minute. She was found to have a bit of filling on the inside of a joint and it does not appear to have cleared up in time.
Magical, winner of the Group Two Debutante Stakes as a two-year-old, had been second favourite in the ante-post betting behind the Charlie Appleby-trained Wild Illusion.
However, O’brien still has five runners as he seeks to win the Oaks for a seventh time.
His team is headed by Magic Wand and Forever Together, who were first and second respectively in the Cheshire Oaks. Bye Bye Baby, Flattering and I Can Fly complete the Ballydoyle force.