Four runners at Hexham Wednesday

A little bit more give in the ground would have been preferable but Hexham stages a fine Wednesday card with good to soft conditions underfoot. Four runners will be dispatched from Dodlands Stables for a trip of just over an hour down the A68 to the Northumberland course. Logistics to the fore!

Honda Fifty opens the day for us in the first race at 12.10.
Analysing the form for this preview made us do a double take. A Class 4 0-120 handicap hurdle worth just over 3 large to the winner. 14 runners.
Any number of horses are taking a drop in class - Sherriff Garrett, Magna Moralia, Got Trumped, Frightened Rabbit, Kaizer.
Previous course and distance winners take part - Hart of Steel, Evita du Mesnil.
And so on.....

This is massively competitive. Good luck in finding the winner, you're on your own.

Callum Bewley rides Honda Fifty who is handily weighted, the ground should suit but may find things difficult first time out against the overall quality in this race.

From mid September, he's fitter now honest : Honda Fifty (Laura) with Nights In Venice (Connor)

Maid of Houxty made a very promising start to her hurdling career when finishing a close 3rd on jumping debut at Newcastle in February. She's been in fine fettle at home, jumps well and should give a good account of herself here (2 mile novice hurdle at 1.15).

A couple of other horses with promising hurdles form at a similar level are Ewan's Tartan Cookie and Bex's Twoshotsoftequila (yes, please) but it's the bumper and Irish Point recruits that represent the most danger.

Rose's Captain Quint cost €110k after finishing 2nd in an Irish Point a year ago ridden by Jamie Codd and by-passes the bumper route to make his rules debut here. The winner of that Point was Guily Billy who cost a King's Ransom and joined de Bromhead.. He finished 2nd on hurdling debut last month.
Captain Quint may go well but is in danger of being swallowed up by the pursuing pack near the finish........
Both Fortescue Wood and Andante were fine winners in NH Flat races and will be very interesting on debut in the hurdling sphere.

And there are 2 or 3 others who have shown ability in Irish Points or bumpers so this is a very hot novice hurdle. A race packed full of future winners, that's certain.

Bill and Carol Aitchison (owner-breeders of Maid of Houxty) will be present at their local track and win, lose or draw will enjoy the day. Danny McMenamin comes in for the ride, his first for us (we think).

Maid of Houxty (Callum) with Shoeshine Boy (Laura)

Onto the two divisions of the 0-100 handicap hurdle that close the card.
Neither is as competitive (thanks goodness!) as that opening event so this may provide an ideal season pipe opener for Bill Aitchison's Bonny Houxty (a full sister to Maid of Houxty) in Division 1 at 3.00 pm.
Remarkably quite the opposite in nature for such a close relative, she's not the most fluent of jumpers and can be a stuffy horse - never usually appear before February - so will very much need this race. Craig Nichol takes the ride.

Looking for the likely winner, the picture is muddied slightly by horses that have shown their best form at 2 miles - such as Early Morning Dew - who may well improve for a step up in trip.
However there is one progressive sort that tops the weights in Foillan for the good Doctor Newland and he could well win this with something to spare.

Division 2 of the 2m 4f Class 5 handicap hurdle at 3.35 is well worth hanging on for. Well, we'll be there anyway to see Shoeshine Boy make his handicap debut and this may just about be our best chance of a win on the card......so do stick around.

Golan Cloud for Jennie & Sean will the head the betting. He has shown solid enough form in this grade over the past couple of seasons and goes well fresh. Stuart Coltherd's Wheelbhari looks handily handicapped but his best form is at 2 miles, so may be vulnerable.

Barbara Butterworth has booked Brian Hughes for Coeur Aimant who gave an encouraging display here 12 days ago after a summer break. His best form is on a sound surface so if the ground had dried a bit, he could be challenging for a place.

On pedigree, it would appear Shoeshine Boy would be suited by this testing 2½ miles (couple of steep climbs included) but he needs to show a bit more than in his two hurdle runs this season.
Still, improvement is not out of the question so best of luck to the Mousetrap Racing lads with Craig Nichol again in the saddle.

Bonny Houxty (Alan) with Shoeshine Boy (Laura)