Royal Shaheen gunning for hat-trick

● Borders raider can make it three in a row at Hamilton

Borders raider Royal Shaheen is chasing a hat-trick in the feature race at Hamilton Park today. Trained at Hawick by Alistair Whillans, he faces 14 rivals in the BB Foodservice Scottish Trophy Handicap over 1m 1f as he bids to follow up recent all-the-way wins at Ayr and Carlisle.

Whillans’ son and assistant Ewan said: “It was tremendous that he won at Carlisle last time as his owner Frank Lowe lives in that area and it was his first winner at his local track. Nice ground is the key to him and, although his last two wins were over a mile, he is also effective up to a mile and a quarter and Graham Lee knows him well.”

Jim Goldie’s top-weight The glasgow warrior has already won four times in 2018 including twice at Hamilton Park while Brother Mcgonagall, trained by Tim Easterby who also saddles Silvery Moon and Give It Some Teddy, rattled up amid at doncaster, Beverley and Ayr.

Joe Fanning, pictured, the partner of Poet’s Prince, has been the jockey to follow in the race as he has won it three times in the past five years including on Whats the message 12 months ago.

In the opening Bill And David Mcharg EBF Maiden Stakes, Happy Power is the only runner on the eight-race card for Kingsclere handler Andrew Balding who boasts a 25 per cent strike-rate at the Lanarkshire track.