Sakhee can end our ritual humiliation

"The temperature at Belmont should not be much different than what our runners have left. Plus the flight of around eight hours is not much more than one gets having to travel a horse by road to Ripon or Redcar."

Things can go wrong airlifting thoroughbreds to race abroad as Hamilton, who has travelled as an equine courier to the US, Australia, Japan, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain and Germany, knows. He recalls one incident when going over for the Irish 1,000 Guineas of 1994 with the Dunlop-trained Mehthaaf, who won the Classic.

" One of Sir Michael Stoute's fillies had won a trial at Ascot and they had supplemented her at great expense for the Irish race, but as soon as she got on board she went loopy, banged her head on the walls, fell down and injured herself. She couldn't run and they had paid an awful lot of money for nothing.

"Turbulence can upset a horse a lot, but there is always a vet on board with a needle and calming drugs, and if one does in fact go berserk, the pilot has the ultimate decision of what action to take."

British stable lads, used to staying in hostels over here, find themselves experiencing a spot of luxury across the Atlantic.

"Because of centralised racing over there where a track hosts racing for long periods, the hostels aren't exactly up to much," said Hamilton.

"There are a lot of Mexican racing staff over there and they are happy enough to stay in barns. The exercise lads will be at the track for about three months, so they usually rent houses between them, and when we get over we usually stay in hotels.

"Anyway, if an owner can afford to send a horse to farflung places, why shouldn't the men who are looking after them have somewhere nice to stay?"

Over the years Hamilton has built up a reputation of being an extremely good student of form.

He was recently interviewed on Channel 4 at York and came up with a 9-1 winner for viewers. And he has no hesitation in nominating Arc winner Sakhee as a banker for the Breeders' meeting.

The super colt was trained by his boss as a three-yearold when finishing second in the Derby last year, until switching to the Saeed bin Suroor camp of Godolphin.

"We were sorry to lose such a magnificent horse." said Hamilton. "But he has been lightly raced and that should pay off. Reading between the lines I think that Godolphin will run him in the Turf race while Fantastic Light could go for the Classic on dirt instead.

"They have a very strong hand there and if we are ever going to do really well at the meeting, this is the year to do it. The governor's son, Ed Dunlop, has a real chance with Lailani in the fillies' and mares' event, too.

"Having won the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and the Irish Oaks among other races, there doesn't seem to be any bottom to her. She keeps running and keeps winning.

"The Aiden O'Brien camp are hoping for victory in the Juvenile with Johannesburg, but stepping up to eight and a half furlongs for that could be a little bit of a worry.

"Anyhow, a friend of mine, Tony Nelson, who used to work for us and looked after the marvellous Salsabil before going to America, still keeps in touch and tells me that their good two-year-old over there, Officer, will not be beaten in that race.

"I will be glued to the telly for the meeting, having been there for runnings at Hollywood Park, Kentucky and Santa Anita, as well as travelling one of ours for the Man O' War Stakes at Belmont.

"I know I have got a good job. You get a cold wet day at Windsor and feel a bit low sometimes, but nine days out of 10 it's a great life, and of all the places I've been England is still the best - that's why I'm still here!"