A Monday Night at Hexham — Don't Turn Your Nose Up

Now, I know what you're thinking. Monday evening flat racing at Hexham in September — is that really worth my time? Well, pull up a stool and let me tell you something: some of the best notebook horses I've ever found have come from exactly these sorts of cards. The big yards don't always bother, the crowds are thin, and the horses that are genuinely well-handicapped or quietly progressive can slip through the net without half the racing world noticing. That's the beauty of it. Eight races, standard to slow going, and a card that had something for everyone if you knew where to look. Let's get into it.

The Hexham racecard tonight was a proper mix — staying handicaps, apprentice fare, EBF novice action, and a feature mile-and-three-quarter affair to kick things off. Not a bad evening's work for a track that doesn't always get the credit it deserves up in Northumberland.

The Feature Race: Stayers Put to the Test

We opened proceedings at 17:00 with the Unibet 40,000+ Live Streamed Events Handicap Stakes over a stamina-sapping one mile seven furlongs and 218 yards — and as a London Stayers' Series Qualifier, there was a little extra spice in the pot beyond the £8k prize money. With only three runners, this was never going to be a cavalry charge, but small fields over a trip like that can throw up some fascinating tactical battles.

Ramensky, rated 73 and partnered by the ever-reliable Oisin Murphy, was the one to beat on paper. Now, Murphy on a stayer at this level on a Monday evening tells you something — either the horse needs the experience or the yard fancies a quiet confidence-booster. Either way, you don't book Oisin Murphy for the craic. He's there for a reason.

Virtue Diligence (Jack Callan, rated 65) and Femme Fatale (Luke Morris, rated 61, with a course win to her name) completed the trio. Femme Fatale's course form is worth respecting on a track that has its quirks, and Luke Morris is never just making up the numbers. That [D] next to her name — a course winner — matters more than people give it credit for over an unusual trip like this.

Apprentice Chaos and Hidden Gems at 17:30

Eleven runners in the apprentice handicap over a mile — now that's more like it. This is where your notebook comes out and your pen barely stops moving. Apprentice races at this level are a lottery in the short term, but the horses that win them often do so because they're better than their rating suggests. The handicapper can be slow to react, and that's your window.

A few names caught my eye on the Hexham racecard here. Lovely Jubly (Owen Lewis, rated 55) carries both course and distance form — that [C,D] is a significant flag in a race like this. Mbappe (Donagh Murphy, rated 54) also has course and distance experience, and with a name like that, he'd better be quick. Knightmare (Miss Amy Tucker, rated 54) has course form too, and Amy Tucker has been riding with real confidence of late — she's one of the apprentices I'd be watching closely as the season develops.

The bottom of the market — Eulalia at 43, Lady Margret at 45 — these are the sorts of horses that can surprise when the handicapper has been generous. Keep them in your notes for similar company.

The EBF Novice Races — Where the Future Stars Hide

Back-to-back EBF novice action at 18:30 and 19:00 gave us a look at some interesting unraced or lightly-raced types, and this is where I get genuinely excited. These are the horses that could be anywhere by next spring.

In the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes over seven furlongs, National Honour (Toby Moore, rated 84) stands out as the one with the most to prove — that rating suggests he's been seen before and found wanting, or alternatively he's been kept for a spot just like this. Either way, he's the benchmark. The unrated runners — Farasan with Oisin Murphy aboard, Rupert The Brave with Kieran Shoemark, and Gut Reaction with Daniel Muscutt — are the ones that intrigue me most. When Murphy and Shoemark are turning up for unraced horses on a Monday evening, there's usually a reason. File those names away.

The 19:00 fillies' novice over six furlongs had Guadalevin (Daniel Muscutt, rated 80) as the most exposed runner, but the unraced fillies in here could be anything. Photo Op (Benoit de la Sayette) and Pure Majesty (Harry Davies) are two names I'd be watching — de la Sayette is a classy operator who doesn't waste his time on no-hopers, and Davies has been associated with some nice progressive types this season.

Ones to Follow — Mark These Down

Right, here's the bit you actually came for. My notebook horses from tonight's card at Hexham:

  • Farasan — Murphy doesn't ride Monday evening debutants for fun. If this one runs green but shows ability, he'll be a different proposition next time.
  • Femme Fatale — Course winner, Luke Morris, and a trip that suits. If she ran well tonight, she's worth following in similar staying handicaps through the autumn.
  • Lovely Jubly — Course and distance form at a low rating. If apprentice races are your thing, this one's worth a small each-way interest next time out.
  • Hot Silk (Oisin Murphy, rated 67 in the 20:00 handicap) — Murphy again, and a horse rated 67 in a Class 5 over a mile and a quarter. That's a horse the yard might fancy. Watch where this one goes next.
  • Rupert The Brave — Kieran Shoemark on an unraced novice. That's a combination worth following up.

The Closer: Sprinting Home in the Last Two

The card wound down with a fillies' novice at 19:30 — Forbidden Colours (Kieran Shoemark, rated 69) was the form pick, with March of Time (George Bass, rated 64) also carrying a rating into a race full of unknowns. Astronette with Murphy and Pink Pyjamas with Muscutt are two more unraced fillies to monitor.

The finale at 20:30 — a twelve-runner Class 6 sprint handicap — was the sort of race that gives punters nightmares and notebook-keepers opportunities. Barry The Worm (Jack Dace, rated 50) is a name that will either win you a fortune or break your heart, and at that rating, he's probably capable of better. Voodoo Ray at 41 is another that could outrun his mark if the stars align.

Final Thoughts — Hexham Delivers Again

Look, nobody's pretending tonight was Cheltenham Festival. But that's not the point. Hexham on a Monday evening in September is exactly where shrewd punters do their homework. The EBF novice winners from cards like this have a habit of reappearing in better company before Christmas, and the handicappers who run well without winning are the ones the market underestimates next time.

Keep an eye on the unraced Murphy and Shoemark rides from the novice races — if either of those debuts showed promise, they'll be well-supported when connections find the right opportunity. And if Hot Silk ran a big race in the 20:00, mark my words, she won't be 67-rated for long.

Full results and sectional times are worth a look once they're through — check back on the Hexham racecard page for the full breakdown. Until then, get the kettle on. Or something stronger. You've earned it.