Haydock next for emerging Champion Hurdle dark horse Tommy's Oscar

Tommy's Oscar is set to tackle the Grade 2 The New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock this month after completing a handicap hat-trick for his small but powerful Newcastle yard on Saturday.

Ann and Ian Hamilton have only four horses in training yet three of them have run to a Racing Post Rating of 150 or higher this season and Tommy's Oscar is set for another hike in the weights after landing the Hogmaneigh Hurdle at Musselburgh by a comfortable six lengths.

"He'll probably run next in the Haydock Park Champion Hurdle Trial," Ian Hamilton said. "It's usually heavy ground but he seems to go on any.

"He's earned the chance to go in a Graded race, but we're too old to travel too far. We went to Sandown last year and I didn't realise England was so long!

"The Racing Post mentioned the Kingwell but that's at Wincanton and the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso is a handicap, though he cannot get any more than 11st 12lb, can he?"

Ian Hamilton (far left) and Ann (right) pose with Tommy's Oscar after his latest winCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Hamilton admitted that 7lb claimer Tom Midgley was booked for Musselburgh due to fears Tommy's Oscar might find a BHA mark of 150 hard to overcome, but added: "You'd think he'd never had a race on Saturday, he wasn't even blowing.

"He had his excuses when he got beaten last season. He was unlucky in the Morebattle as he got hampered and lost 20 lengths and he still finished sixth. He was wrong before the Scottish Champion Hurdle, we thought he'd come right but he hung badly all the way and still finished third."

The husband-and-wife team have yet to decide whether or not to enter their star in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, which closes next week.

"The only horse we've run at Cheltenham is Runswick Royal in the County Hurdle and it wasn't a great experience," Ian Hamilton said.

"He was going well when a horse jumped into the back of him and sliced his leg, Brian Hughes had to pull him up.

"I think Tommy's Oscar is better on a flat track like Musselburgh, Ayr or Doncaster. My wife likes Aintree better, but it's two and a half miles there and he didn't stay that on the soft at Carlisle, though Aintree is an easy two and a half and the ground is usually quicker there."

Nuts Well gave the Hamiltons a Grade 2 victory in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree last season while Pay The Piper was second in a Listed chase at Carlisle this autumn.

Nuts Well in the Old Roan Chase last seasonCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Both ran at Wetherby over Christmas and Hamilton said: "We might run Nuts Well in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster. The ground is never too bad there and he's done his best winning over two and a half miles, and been staying on at the end.

"We'll give Pay The Piper a bit more time but we'll carry on in as low grade as we can with him and try to find another novice handicap."

Asked about the extraordinary success of their small string, Hamilton went on: "It's down to personal attention. Ann is dedicated and we've got two super girls who ride out. The three of them are a good team.

"We've had horses with good trainers but the door shuts at 5pm and doesn't open until 7.30am the next morning. We start at 6am and are still fiddling around at 8.30pm or 9pm. You can do that with a few horses, you can't do that if you have 100."

More to read:

'He was the best by a long way' - Tommy's Oscar defies top weight to land treble

Topweight Nuts Well delivers emotional Old Roan success for six-horse trainer

Red-hot Ann Hamilton continues her amazing run as Bavington Bob strikes

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