Our Jumps' Season opens with Shoeshine Boy at Hexham on Saturday

It seems a long time since our last NH runner - Houxty Belle in a Hexham bumper in mid May - so we're rarin' to go with Shoeshine Boy in the (near) 3 mile handicap hurdle at Hexham on Saturday. 6 runners with an advance going description of soft and race time is 3.20pm.

This is a Class 3 event and with Shoeshine Boy rated OR103, an easier season opener could probably have been found. But, the Mousetrap Racing gelding ran such a fine race in a similar grade at Perth at the end of April so.......
His regular jockey Craig Nichol is reunited with him here.

For form students, the great anomaly at this stage of the season is the relative merits of the freshness of horses returning after a 4 months break (like Shoeshine Boy here) compared to the clear fitness advantage of horses who have raced through the summer (like the rest of the field here).
In previous seasons Shoeshine Boy has taken a run or two to find his form (it's a long season) so the jury's out on how he will go here.

Ben Haslem runs a couple of JP McManus owned horses who, true to type, have both previously shown useful form at a higher grade.
Didtheyleaveuoutto's downward spiral seems to have plateau-ed as he won at Cartmel in July and was travelling well when crashing out at Kelso last month. Best form on good ground though and the same can be leveled at his stable companion Celestial Horizon who, in addition, would surely be better suited by 2 miles.

The Moffat/Charlotte combination is represented by Our Sam who comes into this on a hat-trick and in the form of his life. Stays well and acts on soft but this is not Cartmel. He's the one to beat though.
Fabuleux du Clos had a breathing operation but didn't run with any fluency (possibly due to lost shoe) on his subsequent run at Perth in July. So his ability to stay 3 miles is unproven but he acts well in testing conditions, so could play a role in the finish.
Malangen is another who acts on soft but his best form has been at 2 - 2½ miles.

Best of luck to Mousetrap Racing and hope you enjoy the day.

Shoeshine Boy (Laura) in a recent gallop