October 28 / 15.20 Leicester

15.20

Soft

Happy Birthday Hamish Claiming Stakes

  • Prize money: £4320
  • 0m 7f 0y
  • Class 5
  • 5 runners
RTV
View Course
Happy Birthday Hamish Claiming Stakes

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

OUR TIP

Form: 744709

Last run: 34 days

W: 9st 13lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 75

Form & Verdict
Three 6f wins (good to firm/good/AW) for previous yard but out of luck for this one despite falling fast down the weights; had wind surgery since last seen (his second) but conditions are a worry, having missed a soft-ground race in July.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

9

(7)

7th Jul 2026

Good

0m 5f 3y

Class 5

16:48 Pontefract

Brave Empire

9st 1lb

J: Jason Hart

T: Ivan Furtado

Losing run up to 21, but he ran well to finish a close fourth of 16 at Doncaster (6f, good to firm) last month; a few winners have come out of that race and a hood is given a go, but the drop to 5f may not be ideal even on a stiff track like this.

7/1

4th

8

(12)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

0m 6f 2y

Class 6

13:20 Doncaster

Brave Empire

9st 7lb

J: Jonny Peate

T: Ivan Furtado

Very useful juvenile/3yo for Roger Varian but his last win was in February 2024 and he's not made an impact in seven runs this year; mark continues to fall but losing run is up to 20 and others are preferred.

14/1

Form: 723102 D

Last run: 14 days

W: 9st 12lb

3 yo Gelding

OR: 75

Form & Verdict
Won final French start, at Vichy (7f claimer, very soft) in August; well held in an Ascot handicap on yard debut but he came home strongly and only just failed in C&D seller (good) since; has a big run in him on soft.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

9

(4)

3rd Jul 2026

Good

1m 0f 0y

Class 4

17:15 Sandown

Amused

9st 6lb

J: Paddy Bradley

T: Jim Boyle

Ex-French 4yo who is 0-8 in Britain and not solid on 2026 form, with his second behind H Key Lails at Lingfield flanked by duck eggs; still has something to prove beyond 7f to boot.

25/1

11th

5

(3)

9th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

0m 7f 216y

Class 5

19:21 Brighton

Amused

9st 9lb

J: Pat Cosgrave

T: Jim Boyle

Again showed ability when second of eight at Lingfield (7f, good) eight days ago, shaping as though the return to this trip would suit; high on list from same mark; stable also runs Play Me.

8/1

2nd

1

(6)

1st Jun 2026

Good To Firm

0m 7f 0y

Class 5

17:00 Lingfield

Amused

9st 9lb

J: Paddy Bradley

T: Jim Boyle

Ex-French gelding who was unraced at two; made all to land Vichy claimer (very soft) in August and went mighty close for this yard in Leicester seller (good) in October; 25-1 and raced wide before solid fifth of 12 at Kempton (also 7f, AW) in December; showed no improvement in first-time cheekpieces when last of ten on his return at Epsom (8.5f, good) in April and visor returns; best left alone at present.

16/1

Form: 091722 D

Last run: 90 days

W: 9st 11lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 66

Form & Verdict
Off the mark in 7f Chepstow handicap (good to soft) in June and has run well over 7f and 1m on turf since; had trouble with the stalls in two intended starts since, though, getting upset and withdrawn then refusing to go in last time out, but he should be competitive if taking part.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

8

(3)

12th Jun 2026

Good

0m 7f 127y

Class 5

17:28 Chester

Dapper Gee Gee

9st 7lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Tony Carroll

Landed his third win at Chepstow (7f, good to soft) last month and ran up to that form when runner-up back there (soft) six days ago; still on a workable mark and holds claims.

7/2

2nd

9

(2)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

0m 7f 16y

Class 4

18:53 Chepstow

Dapper Gee Gee

8st 11lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Tony Carroll

Gained a second C&D victory when getting up late in 11-runner handicap last month; up 2lb but that form is working out well so he must enter calculations.

9/2

1st

5

(8)

21st May 2026

Good To Soft

0m 7f 16y

Class 5

19:10 Chepstow

Dapper Gee Gee

9st 6lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Tony Carroll

Better than ever when readily seeing off 11 rivals at Southwell (7f) under Gina Mangan in January; never involved over 1m at Doncaster next time but shaped as if still in form when fourth back at Southwell (7f) 23 days ago.

6/1

Form: 222523

Last run: 12 days

W: 9st 8lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 61

Form & Verdict
Consistent at 7f and 1m and he's been close to breaking his duck three times, including on soft; would have a better weights chance if this was a handicap but his reliability counts for plenty.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

6

(8)

30th Jun 2026

Good

0m 6f 210y

Class 6

16:43 Brighton

Joycean Way

9st 8lb

J: Tom Queally

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Third in his last two starts over 1m/1m2f here, but now 0-19 despite a slipping mark and not sure dropping back to this trip is the key; blinkers return.

6/1

3rd

1

(1)

22nd Jun 2026

Good

1m 1f 207y

Class 6

19:37 Brighton

Joycean Way

9st 12lb

J: David Egan

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Regressive maiden who hasn't looked to see it out in a few previous tries at this trip, including over C&D this time last year; back in form here last time and this looks weaker again, given a second try in cheekpieces (in place of blinkers); stamina the question.

2/1

3rd

2

(11)

29th May 2026

Good To Firm

0m 7f 216y

Class 6

15:52 Brighton

Joycean Way

9st 9lb

J: David Egan

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Blinkered when he hit a run of second spots at 7f and 1m last summer, including here (soft; acts on good to firm) in September; had previously looked unlucky on a couple of those occasions and the blinkers were absent when never figuring at Lingfield ten days ago; might do better with that aid now refitted and he's dangerously handicapped; watch the market.

13/2

Form: 534038

Last run: 14 days

W: 9st 6lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 70

Form & Verdict
Winner of final 2yo start, over 6f on soft; in this picture on his best 7f form this year but he's been rather up and down in various forms of headgear of late and hard to know how he'll fare now going without aids.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

9

(6)

23rd Jun 2026

Good To Firm

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

19:35 Newbury

Forever My Prince

9st 8lb

J: Charles Bishop

T: Michael Blake

Two turf wins, the latest a claimer at Leicester last October on final run for Eve Johnson Houghton; dropping down the weights but hasn't been shaping of late as though he's about to take advantage.

11/1

5th

2

(10)

29th May 2026

Good To Firm

0m 7f 16y

Class 6

17:10 Chepstow

Forever My Prince

9st 8lb

J: Charles Bishop

T: Michael Blake

Made encouraging seasonal/stable debut when fifth of 15 in higher-grade race at Doncaster (7f, good to soft) in March, but two lesser efforts have followed (7f/6f) and she'd appeal more on ground slower than good.

12/1

6th

7

(4)

14th May 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

14:08 Salisbury

Forever My Prince

9st 6lb

J: Harry Smith

T: Michael Blake

Signed off 2025 with a claiming success at Leicester (7f, soft) in October on his final start for Eve Johnson Houghton; two fair efforts over 7f since joining this stable and now drops back in trip on ground that he could probably do with being a bit softer than forecast.

8/1

Non-runners

Good Banter

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £19.40
Straight Forecast £25.05
Trifecta £61.60

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Amused

RP RATINGS:

Forever My Prince

Daily Mail:

Good Banter

The Star:

Dapper Gee Gee

The Times:

Amused

Telegraph:

Amused

The Guardian:

Amused

Daily Mirror:

Amused

The Sun:

Amused

Daily Record:

Amused

TOPSPEED:

Forever My Prince

POSTDATA:

Forever My Prince

D Express:

Forever My Prince