A September Evening in Northumberland
My grandfather used to say that September racing had a particular smell to it. Something between cut grass and the first whisper of autumn. I've never quite been able to argue with him, and standing at Hexham on an evening like this one, with the Tyne Valley stretching out beyond the rails and the sun dropping behind the hills, I think I know exactly what he meant.
We've got seven races on the Hexham racecard this Wednesday evening, and the going is reported as Standard to Slow — which is worth keeping firmly in mind as we work through the card. That slight ease in the ground will favour horses with a bit of stamina in their stride, and it'll sort the wheat from the chaff in a couple of these races more decisively than the form book alone might suggest. Bring a jacket. Enjoy a pie. Let's get into it.
The Feature Race: Class 4 Handicap at 20:00
The headline act on this card is the Unibet Supporting Safer Gambling Handicap Stakes at 20:00 — a Class 4 seven-furlong contest for three-year-olds with £12,000 in prize money up for grabs. Eight runners, a tight weight range, and a roll call of trainers that reads like a who's who of the southern yards. This one has quality written all over it.
At the top of the weights, Aigeas (rated 85) carries the burden for Oliver Cole with Mason Paetel in the saddle. He's a course winner, which counts for something, but it's the horse just below him in the ratings that catches my eye.
Comic Hero (rated 81) is trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by the brilliant Oisin Murphy. He's a course and distance winner — those two letters [C,D] next to his name are worth their weight in gold on an evening when the ground is riding slower than ideal — and Balding has him in fine form this season. Murphy doesn't ride at Hexham for the fun of it. When he makes the trip, he tends to mean business.
Hardy's Hero (rated 81) for William Haggas and Cieren Fallon is the one I'd want to keep onside at each-way odds. Haggas horses have a habit of arriving in peak condition, and Fallon is riding with real confidence right now. The pair of them could easily nick this if Comic Hero doesn't fire.
Key Runners to Watch Across the Card
Chapman's Peak — 17:30 Apprentice Handicap
The opening race is an apprentice handicap over seven furlongs for three-year-olds, and with eight runners and a decent spread of talent, it's a tricky one to unpick. But I keep coming back to Chapman's Peak, trained by Ed Dunlop and ridden by Toby Moore. He's a course and distance winner — again, those [C,D] flags matter on this going — and while he's not the highest rated in the field at 63, he knows this track and he knows this trip. That counts for a lot in an apprentice race where the inexperience of the riders can play into the hands of the horse that simply knows what it's doing.
Keep an eye on Olivia Tubb aboard the top-rated Something Coming (69) for Peter Chapple-Hyam. She's a talented young rider and this horse has the form to be competitive. Alfie Redman on Bundok and Owen Lewis on Unionville are also worth watching — both are capable apprentices who could outride their experience level on the right day.
Sierra Belle — 18:30 EBF Novice Stakes
The 18:30 six-furlong novice is a twelve-runner affair for two-year-olds, and it's Sierra Belle who stands out from the page. Trained by Ralph Beckett and partnered by Rossa Ryan, she's the only runner in the race with an official rating — 81 — which tells you she's already shown something. Beckett is a master with juveniles, and Ryan is in the form of his life. On Standard to Slow ground over six furlongs, she'll need to travel well, but the raw ability appears to be there.
The wildcard is Farasan from the John and Thady Gosden yard, ridden by Oisin Murphy. Unrated but from that stable? Never dismiss them lightly. Libby Swallow takes the ride on Love Always for Ollie Sangster — another apprentice to watch as she continues to build her book of rides.
Fortitudine — 19:00 Novice Stakes
The 19:00 over a mile and a quarter is a small but fascinating field. Fortitudine, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, is a course and distance winner and — let's be honest — when Appleby sends Buick to Hexham on a Wednesday evening, you sit up and take notice. The horse clearly handles this track and this trip, and the slightly softer ground shouldn't inconvenience a horse from a yard that prepares its animals so meticulously. This is the one I'd be most confident about on the entire card.
Zoustar Dreams — 19:30 Fillies' Handicap
The 19:30 fillies' handicap over six furlongs is a London Sprint Series Qualifier, which adds a layer of interest. Zoustar Dreams, trained by Ed Dunlop and ridden by Billy Loughnane, is a course winner and top-rated in the field at 70. Loughnane is having a superb season and Dunlop clearly has this filly in good heart. The distance winner flag [D] alongside her name is particularly reassuring on ground that's riding a touch slower than standard. Oliver Carmichael takes the mount on Viviana in the opener — he's one to note as a rising apprentice — but it's Loughnane and Zoustar Dreams who hold the stronger hand here.
How the Going Shapes the Card
Standard to Slow is the key phrase this evening. It's not heavy, it's not desperate, but it's enough to stretch the field in every race. Horses with course and distance form — those [C] and [D] markers — are worth a premium, because they've already demonstrated they can handle the unique contours of Hexham and the demands of their respective trips. On easier ground, stamina becomes a more significant factor, and horses who idle in front or lack that final kick can be caught out.
In practical terms: be wary of horses making their debut at the track on this ground, and look kindly on those whose connections have made the journey north with a specific purpose in mind. Appleby and Buick at Hexham on a Wednesday evening? That's a purpose-built mission if ever I saw one.
Best Bets and Ones to Watch
- Fortitudine (19:00) — Buick, Appleby, course and distance form. The banker of the card.
- Comic Hero (20:00) — Course and distance winner, Murphy in the saddle, Balding in fine form. The feature race pick.
- Zoustar Dreams (19:30) — Top-rated, course winner, Loughnane aboard. Each-way appeal at minimum.
- Chapman's Peak (17:30) — Course and distance form in an apprentice race. Shrewd each-way option to open the evening.
- Hardy's Hero (20:00) — Haggas and Fallon in the feature. Keep onside each-way if the price is right.
Seven races, a glorious Northumberland evening, and more than enough to keep the interest alive from the first stride to the last. Enjoy it, back sensibly, and remember — the best part of a night at the races isn't always the winning. Sometimes it really is just the smell of the place. My grandfather knew that too.
