There's Nowhere Quite Like Hexham

My father used to say that if you wanted to understand what horse racing was really about — not the glamour, not the television cameras, not the sponsored marquees and the prawn sandwiches — you should go to Hexham. He took me for the first time when I was about twelve, and I remember standing on that hillside, the wind coming in off the Northumberland moors, the Tyne Valley stretching out below us like something from a painting, and thinking: this is it. This is the sport.

Hexham has been doing this since 1890. Over 130 years of proper jump racing, perched up in the hills above one of England's most beautiful market towns. It is, officially, the highest racecourse in England — and on a clear September evening, you'll believe it. The views alone are worth the entrance fee. Everything else is a bonus.

This week, Hexham gives us three fixtures to enjoy, so let's make the most of them.

This Week's Fixtures at a Glance

We've got a lovely little run of meetings to look forward to, though I should flag something straight away that had me doing a double-take when the cards came through. Hexham is, of course, a National Hunt course — fences, hurdles, proper jump racing. And yet this week's three fixtures are all flat racing. Evening cards on Wednesday and Friday, and an afternoon card on Saturday. It's not unheard of for jump tracks to host flat fixtures during the summer months, and it does give the course a slightly different feel — a little lighter on the soul, perhaps, but no less competitive for it.

Twenty-one races across three days. Plenty to get your teeth into. The going is Standard to Slow across all three cards, which tells its own story — there's been some moisture about up in Northumberland, and the track is carrying a bit of cut. Keep that in mind when you're doing your homework.

Understanding the Hexham Track

Now, even when Hexham hosts flat racing, the course itself doesn't change — and that matters enormously. This is a left-handed, undulating circuit, and undulating is almost an understatement. The track climbs, dips, twists and demands that horses and jockeys think on their feet throughout. It's not a galloping track where you can switch off and let a horse cruise. Hexham asks questions from the moment the stalls open.

The downhill run to the finish is particularly worth noting. Horses who can handle a descent and still find their stride — rather than unravelling under the momentum — have a significant edge. It's the kind of feature that catches out horses who've done all their winning on flat, conventional tracks, and rewards those with a bit of balance and grit about them.

On the flat, with Standard to Slow going, expect stamina to play a bigger role than pure speed. This isn't Lingfield on a quick surface. Horses who stay well and handle a bit of give underfoot will be at a premium across all three cards this week.

Draw and Pace Considerations

Draw bias at a track like Hexham on the flat can be tricky to pin down — it doesn't have the same volume of flat racing data as, say, Chester or Beverley. As a general rule on left-handed tracks with a bit of cut in the ground, low draws tend to have a slight advantage in sprint distances, simply because horses can get across to the rail and save ground. Over longer trips, it matters less — the race has time to sort itself out.

In terms of pace, with the undulations doing their work, front-runners can find it tough if they've gone too hard early on. The hill has a habit of finding out those who've been over-enthusiastic. Horses who travel well within themselves and pick up late are often the ones to side with, particularly over a mile and beyond.

The Type of Horse That Wins at Hexham

Whether it's the jumps season or a flat summer card, Hexham rewards a certain kind of horse. Forget the flashy, speed-bred types who need a flat, fast surface and a true gallop. What wins here, consistently, is the tough, adaptable, honest sort — a horse that handles terrain, doesn't mind a bit of dig in the ground, and keeps finding more when the track starts to bite.

On the flat this week, look for:

  • Proven stayers or horses stepping up in trip — the undulations will stretch out a race
  • Horses with previous form on soft or heavy ground — Standard to Slow at Hexham is no place for a fragile, quick-ground type
  • Jockeys who know the track — local knowledge counts here more than at most venues. A jockey who's ridden Hexham before will know exactly when to commit and when to hold
  • Horses trained in the North — they'll often have worked on similar terrain and won't be fazed by the setting

Practical Tips for Punters This Week

Whether you're heading up to Hexham in person or watching from the sofa with a brew and a betting slip, here are a few things worth keeping in mind this week.

If you're attending in person — and I'd strongly encourage it, especially for the Saturday afternoon card — dress for the weather. September in Northumberland can be glorious, but it can also be brisk. The elevation means the wind has a bit of bite even on a sunny evening. Layers are your friend. And take a moment, when you get there, to just stand and look at the view. Seriously. It's one of the great free pleasures in British racing.

For those betting from home, a few practical pointers:

  • Check the going updates on the morning of each fixture — Standard to Slow can drift either way depending on overnight rain
  • With 7 races on each card, don't feel obliged to have a bet in every race. Pick your spots
  • Look at trainers' recent form on similar going — that's often more telling than a horse's overall seasonal record
  • Evening cards can sometimes attract smaller fields, which can be a gift for finding value if you've done your homework

A Final Word on Why Hexham Matters

There's a tendency in modern racing to chase the big meetings, the Group races, the televised spectacles. And there's nothing wrong with that — I love a Cheltenham Festival as much as the next man. But I'd argue that places like Hexham are where the soul of the sport actually lives. Three fixtures this week, twenty-one races, and every single one of them will be run with the same competitive spirit that's made this course what it is since 1890.

Check out the full Hexham course page for more background, and make sure you've got the racecards bookmarked for Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. It's going to be a fine week of racing up in those Northumberland hills. I hope you enjoy every minute of it.

Good luck, and back them with confidence.