Hexham 2.20 Handicap Hurdle - Class 5 - 2 miles 7 and 1/2 furlongs - Soft > Heavy - 16 run

 

A decent and competitive race and whilst Bollin Nell has had a recent Flat run and has some very good NH Hurdles form and Trainer Tim Easterby loves a jumping winner with a decent strike rate, I'll just leave this one out of calculations today as I think a few others may be that bit sharper and fitter in the mud.

 

Secret Secret is a Cartmel specialist although it has also won at Kelso, Reagrove Lord ran well for a long way last time before fading and I think a similar outcome is probable here although he could slip the field, Time Was is a 3 mile P2P winner who is steadily progressing and a similar type is Atlantic Express who I have added to my TRACKER from today.

 

I'm really keen on 3 of the 16 runners although I have slight ground niggles about 2 of them. My clear No 1 in analysis though is a horse already in the TRACKER AND THAT IS clovis bay. A Course winner on his second seasonal start last year, fell on Chase debut on seasonal debut this season but had a nice trot round and looked unscathed. Chasing may well be his forte but he can come back to hurdles and pick up a nice win here with wins on heavy going off marks of 90 and 95 and a mark of 99 should be well within his capabilities.

 

Both ROBERT D'ORES who ran very well to place last time out after a wind operation but who has a P2P win on soft and DEQUALL who has finished 2nd and 3rd over Course and Distance already this season may not want it quite this soft but both are too solid to ignore and with the exception of Time Was (already mentioned) looked well clear of the remainder. (North)

 

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Hexham 2.50 Handicap Chase - 2 miles 4 furlongs - 14 run - Soft / Heavy 

 

I'm going to bookmark this race for future reference as I really do think it could throw up a glut of winners in the months to come.

 

I can make pretty solid claims for around 7 of the 14 runners and that would not include a few at the top end of the market like Hold Up La Colmine who may need the run off a 629 days break, Halpha Soleil who returns off a 193 day sojourn and the Jonjo trained Imperial Blade who may just find its level soon and also a TRACKER horse in Chosen Hero who makes its Chase debut here.

 

Cream Of The West is also worth TRACKING and I've added it today, Red Happy has a couple of wins and cannot be lightly discounted but the Going may not be ideal and it's also hard to rule out Tom Cody for Rebecca Menzies with Brian Hughes in the saddle who could be overpriced but may need the run and will definitely improve when upped in trip.

 

I am still left with 4 who I found it very hard to split but my 1-2 to rated are SCALLOWAY BAY who was noted running on well in to 4th place on seasonal debut looks a nice Chasing prospect and a mark of 88 may underestimate him. BACKBYJET is a 3 times CD winner for Brian Ellison and just gets the nod despite being more exposed than some nice newcomers, those Course and Distance wins have been off marks of 98, 102 and 105 so a mark of 108 looks acceptable. 

 

They just get the nod over RATTLING ROAD a 3 mile P2P winner who looks another lovely long term project for Lucinda Rusell, I don't think they'd want to bottom this one out if he tires late on but worth noting his mark of 105 in the context he easily beat a now 117 rated Hurdler in his P2P win.  The solid and consistent High Moon is a nice price at 5/1 and on another day would have been a very solid win bet (TA)