Raceday LIVE – Pop Star
Hamilton,
Wed 28 May 2025 16:00
Related horse(s):
Pop Star
Pop Star heads north of the border to Hamilton this afternoon as he makes his second start for the Coral Racing Club in the Class 4 Handicap over five furlongs (16:00).
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track across our social channels on X (@CRCofficial) and Instagram (@coralofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Pop Star makes his second start for the Coral Racing Club at Hamilton today, after having his debut run at Thirsk just 11 days ago. In what was his second start of the season, Pop Star was handed a tough draw in stall four, and was slow to break away from the gates when the race got underway. He managed to get back into the middle of the pack soon after, but it was at the expense of some of his energy he was likely to need in the closing stages of the race.
As they approached the final two furlongs, jockey Christian Howarth began to ask for more from our five-year-old, to which he did respond, but unfortunately he was unable to sustain his effort and ultimately faded to come home in eighth place.
WATCH: Christian Howarth tells us how the race panned out from his perspective
Alice Haynes was pleased with how he came out of the contest and it can only be taken as a positive that he's being turned out so soon after his run at Thirsk. She does believe that Pop Star is a better horse when he's had a few runs under his belt, so hopefully he can show up better this afternoon following that effort.
Today will mark the third time that Pop Star has run at Hamilton. Despite looking like difficult runs on the face of things on both occasions, he's performed well there given the circumstances. On his first run at the Lanarkshire course, he suffered interference when leaving the stalls, which hampered his chances in the contest, but he was still only beaten by just over four lengths on that occasion. His most recent run there was very impressive, on less than optimal soft ground, as he was only two lengths behind the winner of the race in ninth, in what was a frenetic bunch finish at the line.
Kieran O'Neill takes over jockey duties from Christian Howarth today and it'll be the tenth time that he's ridden Pop Star, which could see a spark brought back to our recently recruited gelding, given that the pair know each other so well.
The field features former course and distance winners, Hurt You Never and Digital, the latter being the winner of one of Pop Star's previous races here, as well as Oriental Prince, who has scored four times in his last six runs, although none of those runs have been over today's minimum trip.
The ground is set to be Good, Good To Soft in places, following some light rain over the last couple of days, which should suit Pop Star's chances in the contest given his performances on the surface before.
Raceday message from trainer Alice Haynes
"Hi guys, Pop Star is all set to run over five furlongs at Hamilton this afternoon.
This doesn't look the strongest of races for the grade, and he won't mind the ground being on the slower side. We can get him rolling now and hopefully he will improve on his recent reappearance at Thirsk."
Chris Dixon, Racing TV analyst, previews Pop Star's second run for the Coral Racing Club at Hamilton this afternoon
Pop Star hasn’t looked at the top of his game in a couple of outings this season and will need a significant upturn in form to make an impact just 11 days on from his latest outing at Thirsk, though it’s fair to say neither of his runs in 2025 have provided him with his optimum test. There’s a chance his race ends up being much more his bag with the return to a stiffer track looking a positive and should conditions ease significantly then Pop Star’s chance would be greatly enhanced given the form he showed when winning on slow ground at Bath in October. His two defeats this term have resulted in a 3lbs drop in the weights and while he may need to slip a little further in the weights, if conditions come up in his favour he could be up to defying this mark.
Oriental Star looks the form horse having racked up seven wins from his last 11 starts but he would be unproven on the ground should the forecast rain arrive and he’s likely to face pressure in front given the presence of other regular front runners in the field. A well-run race pn easy ground is exactly what Illusionist wants and he should strip fitter for his recent reappearance. This represents a drop in grade for Grant Tuer’s charge and he’s down to a good mark, though confidence in him may be higher were he wearing the blinkers that have been on for for four of his five career wins. Other interesting contenders include Digital who likes the track and is edging down the weights and Minnie Wildes who is unexposed, likes cut in the ground and has had possible excuses for her more recent runs. She has potential to progress and may be the one to beat.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Alice Haynes has been in great form lately, posting 5 winners from her last 23 runners, including a double on the card at Wolverhampton six days ago. She also picked up a winner with Far Above The Law at Windsor last night. Given the distance between her Newmarket base and Hamilton, it's not surprising that Alice Haynes doesn't send many runners to the Lanarkshire track, but she does find success there, with 5 winners from 19 runners there in her career.
Kieran O'Neill has also been in solid form recently, with three winners in the last fortnight, including a double on the card at Yarmouth two weeks ago today, one of which came for Alice Haynes. O'Neill has only picked up 18 career rides at Hamilton, returning with one winner and today marks his first visit to the track this year. The jockey operates at an 11% strike-rate for Alice Haynes and has picked up eight winners for the trainer so far this year.
Pop Star's Owners for the Day
As winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, 10 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience for Pop Star's run at Hamilton this evening.
What's included in an Owner for the Day prize?
Two of Pop Star's Owners for the Day with Christian Howarth at a sunny Thirsk last week
Prize Money
Today's Class 4 contest is worth £10,100 in total, with the winner set to scoop £5,286 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £2,480 | 3rd: £1,239 | 4th: £620 | 5th: £309
Get paid as a WINNER in CASH up to a stake of £/€10 if your horse finishes 2nd by a head or less behind the winner in today's 16:00 at Hamilton – click here to find out more.
HAMILTON 16:00 – LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 16:00 to watch Pop Star's next run for the club live on the Coral Sports app.
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track across our social channels on X (@CRCofficial) and Instagram (@coralofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Pop Star makes his second start for the Coral Racing Club at Hamilton today, after having his debut run at Thirsk just 11 days ago. In what was his second start of the season, Pop Star was handed a tough draw in stall four, and was slow to break away from the gates when the race got underway. He managed to get back into the middle of the pack soon after, but it was at the expense of some of his energy he was likely to need in the closing stages of the race.
As they approached the final two furlongs, jockey Christian Howarth began to ask for more from our five-year-old, to which he did respond, but unfortunately he was unable to sustain his effort and ultimately faded to come home in eighth place.
WATCH: Christian Howarth tells us how the race panned out from his perspective
Today will mark the third time that Pop Star has run at Hamilton. Despite looking like difficult runs on the face of things on both occasions, he's performed well there given the circumstances. On his first run at the Lanarkshire course, he suffered interference when leaving the stalls, which hampered his chances in the contest, but he was still only beaten by just over four lengths on that occasion. His most recent run there was very impressive, on less than optimal soft ground, as he was only two lengths behind the winner of the race in ninth, in what was a frenetic bunch finish at the line.
Kieran O'Neill takes over jockey duties from Christian Howarth today and it'll be the tenth time that he's ridden Pop Star, which could see a spark brought back to our recently recruited gelding, given that the pair know each other so well.
The field features former course and distance winners, Hurt You Never and Digital, the latter being the winner of one of Pop Star's previous races here, as well as Oriental Prince, who has scored four times in his last six runs, although none of those runs have been over today's minimum trip.
The ground is set to be Good, Good To Soft in places, following some light rain over the last couple of days, which should suit Pop Star's chances in the contest given his performances on the surface before.
Raceday message from trainer Alice Haynes
"Hi guys, Pop Star is all set to run over five furlongs at Hamilton this afternoon.
This doesn't look the strongest of races for the grade, and he won't mind the ground being on the slower side. We can get him rolling now and hopefully he will improve on his recent reappearance at Thirsk."
Chris Dixon, Racing TV analyst, previews Pop Star's second run for the Coral Racing Club at Hamilton this afternoon
Pop Star hasn’t looked at the top of his game in a couple of outings this season and will need a significant upturn in form to make an impact just 11 days on from his latest outing at Thirsk, though it’s fair to say neither of his runs in 2025 have provided him with his optimum test. There’s a chance his race ends up being much more his bag with the return to a stiffer track looking a positive and should conditions ease significantly then Pop Star’s chance would be greatly enhanced given the form he showed when winning on slow ground at Bath in October. His two defeats this term have resulted in a 3lbs drop in the weights and while he may need to slip a little further in the weights, if conditions come up in his favour he could be up to defying this mark.
Oriental Star looks the form horse having racked up seven wins from his last 11 starts but he would be unproven on the ground should the forecast rain arrive and he’s likely to face pressure in front given the presence of other regular front runners in the field. A well-run race pn easy ground is exactly what Illusionist wants and he should strip fitter for his recent reappearance. This represents a drop in grade for Grant Tuer’s charge and he’s down to a good mark, though confidence in him may be higher were he wearing the blinkers that have been on for for four of his five career wins. Other interesting contenders include Digital who likes the track and is edging down the weights and Minnie Wildes who is unexposed, likes cut in the ground and has had possible excuses for her more recent runs. She has potential to progress and may be the one to beat.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Alice Haynes has been in great form lately, posting 5 winners from her last 23 runners, including a double on the card at Wolverhampton six days ago. She also picked up a winner with Far Above The Law at Windsor last night. Given the distance between her Newmarket base and Hamilton, it's not surprising that Alice Haynes doesn't send many runners to the Lanarkshire track, but she does find success there, with 5 winners from 19 runners there in her career.
Kieran O'Neill has also been in solid form recently, with three winners in the last fortnight, including a double on the card at Yarmouth two weeks ago today, one of which came for Alice Haynes. O'Neill has only picked up 18 career rides at Hamilton, returning with one winner and today marks his first visit to the track this year. The jockey operates at an 11% strike-rate for Alice Haynes and has picked up eight winners for the trainer so far this year.
Pop Star's Owners for the Day
As winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, 10 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience for Pop Star's run at Hamilton this evening.
What's included in an Owner for the Day prize?
- Free racecourse entry
- Access to the Owners & Trainers enclosure
- Access to the Parade Ring before the race
- Meet Pop Star and the Alice Haynes team
- Take home a 10% share of any prize money he wins
Two of Pop Star's Owners for the Day with Christian Howarth at a sunny Thirsk last week
Prize Money
Today's Class 4 contest is worth £10,100 in total, with the winner set to scoop £5,286 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £2,480 | 3rd: £1,239 | 4th: £620 | 5th: £309
Get paid as a WINNER in CASH up to a stake of £/€10 if your horse finishes 2nd by a head or less behind the winner in today's 16:00 at Hamilton – click here to find out more.
HAMILTON 16:00 – LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 16:00 to watch Pop Star's next run for the club live on the Coral Sports app.
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