Hamilton Preview: Ventura Mist can sprint to success

Ventura Mist looks to have been found a glorious opening to get back to winning ways in the 6f handicap at Hamilton today (3.50).

The Tim Easterby trained filly was a very useful juvenile, winning three times and landing the valuable Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar when last successful.

The daughter of Pastoral Pursuits was allotted an opening mark of 97 on the back of that victory, and has run well in several ultra-competitive handicaps this season without getting her head in front.

Those runs include a fine sixth of 20 to See The Sun in a class 2 contest at York and an excellent 1/2 length second to Eastern Impact in a similar grade affair at Newmarket on her penultimate start.

Ventura Mist was also far from disgraced when sixth of 14 last time out at York, and now gets into this weak looking class 3 contest off a mark of just 94.

That makes the three-year-old look weighted to take all the beating, especially with the talented Rachel Richardson in the saddle whose claim takes off another invaluable 7lb off Venture Mist’s back.

King Of Paradise has a terrific record at the track and can take advantage of a drop in the weights to further enhance it in the 1m 3f handicap (3.20).

The Eric Alston trained gelding has won four of his 10 starts at the venue, and twice made all to score at the track last year.

The last of those successes came in a class 4 contest where King Of Paradise beat Discay by a neck off 72.

The five-year-old now gets into this class 6 affair off just 60, and that means that the son of Hurricane Run is 12lb below his last winning mark and dangerously well-treated if bouncing back to his best.
In the 1m handicap (4.50), Declamation looks decent value to exploit a career-low mark.

The gelding scored twice last season, with the last of those victories coming a class 4 contest at Beverley off a rating of 72.

The son of Shamardal now gets into this lower grade class 6 contest off 19lb lower, and that gives Declamation major claims at the weights if building on his latest effort when keeping on to finish finish an eye-catching fifth of 11 to Peace Accord over 7f at Wolverhampton.