'That's not ideal' - how will the draw impact on a fast and furious sprint?

Sunday: 5.18 Hamilton
Sky Bet Sunday Series Sprint Handicap (Class 3) | 5f | 4yo+ (0-90) | ITV4/RTV

Hamilton is said to present a stiff test of stamina, which is certainly logical as there is a gradual rise over the last three furlongs. However, the five-furlong course has a distinct 'V' shape, with the downhill run over the first couple of furlongs meaning that runners over the minimum distance finish only a little higher than where they started.

The course record and Racing Post standard time is comparable with 5f tracks at the likes of Ripon and Nottingham, neither of which have a reputation for stiffness.

Hamilton's set-up means early pace carries a low cost, which gives a potential advantage to speedy sorts. On Sunday the stalls are positioned on the stands' side, but a field of 15 is likely to cover most of the width of the track so it remains to be seen if those drawn nearest the rail (high-numbered stalls) gain anything from that. Convention at Hamilton is for horses to come up the middle.

Fine Wine: consistent sprinter has claimsCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The high numbers might have it, simply because a lot of the pace is there. Showalong in 15 does his best work when bounced out and Zim Baby (14) did the same when recording a career-best effort on her reappearance.

Fine Wine is next door and even more of a habitual front-runner, although he has had a busy spring and showed signs it might just be catching up with him last time.

Call Me Ginger is in 12 and one of just two course winners in the field. He kicked off a hat-trick that culminated in Ayr Bronze Cup success here in August and has shaped this year as though he will be back to his best soon.

Also, watch out for Huddle Up. He has joined David and Nicola Barron from Ireland and was unexposed there. He had been prominent in the betting for a race at Pontefract that featured a few of these (Rayong won, Fine Wine second, Showalong tenth, Dave Dexter 13th) before getting upset in the stalls and being withdrawn. He will be well worth monitoring in the market again.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

'More rain would suit'

It is going to take Zim Baby the thick end of five hours to travel the 300 or so miles from Mick Appleby's Oakham base in Leicestershire to Hamilton, but the trainer did not have to think twice about the journey when he saw the prize pot of £35,000.

"Yes, fuel's expensive, but it's great prize-money, especially if we win," he said. "Even if we're placed, it covers the cost of the trip."

In Zim Baby, Appleby has a useful mare fresh from a Listed fourth at Bath – one of the best performances of her career.

"She's in good form, but hopefully we get a bit more rain, which would suit her," he went on. "I expect her to run a big race and Silvestre de Sousa, who gets on well with her, is back on board."

What they say

Mike Smith, trainer of Black Friday
He pulled both front shoes off when he was second at Ayr last time, so I thought it was a great run, and he was beaten by Lampang who was rated 105 at one point and is a proper horse. It wasn't quite our ground that day – we want a bit of cut – but it should be lovely for him for this. I hope he'll come forward from that run too. Being a sprinter, he's quite barrelly anyway, but he tightened up by about 6-8kg last time.

Scott Dixon: Fine Wine's trainerCredit: John Grossick

Scott Dixon, trainer of Fine Wine
He's had a stellar winter and rattled off a good few on the all-weather, and transferred that good form to turf. He went to Musselburgh for a good race last month and ran a cracker to be third, when I think he had excuses. He was taken on for the lead and was short of room; he wouldn't have beaten the winner, but could have been second. You can run these sprints ten times and get ten different results and he's fine and well at home, so we'll keep firing him into these decent pots.

Jim Goldie, trainer of Call Me Ginger and Be Proud
Be Proud is more of a five-furlong horse than Call Me Ginger, but Call Me Ginger did run quite a nice race over five at Musselburgh last month. It's well worth running both of them and Paul Mulrennan gets a really good tune out of Call Me Ginger, while Oliver Stammers has won on Be Proud, and both will be doing their best, so I'll not pick one over the other, but they've both got each-way claims.

Keith Dalgleish, trainer of The Thin Blue Line
He's in great form but I would have preferred slightly better ground for him. Also he's drawn in stall one on the far side and that is not ideal.
Reporting by James Burn

Read Sunday's previews:

4.05 Leopardstown: Irish 1,000 Guineas clues may emerge as Agartha bids to enhance Classic claims

4.35 Leopardstown: 'This was always the plan' - analysis and quotes for another key Derby trial

5.05 Leopardstown: 'We think he's progressing' - Aidan O'Brien-trained Ivy League seeking hat-trick

6.18 Hamilton: 'The prize-money is so good' - which stayer can claim Hamilton riches?

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