N.H. racing at Hexham and Leicester

Hexham´s card features two valuable and very competitive handicaps, over hurdles at 13.50 CET and over fences an hour later. In the former event, Sir Tantalus Hawk (Alan Swinbank/ Brian Hughes) and Catch Bob (Ferdy Murphy/ Graham Lee) look likely candidates, and the Murphy/ Lee team also have good prospects in the chase with the lightly-raced Nouveau Maire, who is stepping up in trip, and has the tough 12yo Huka Lodge (James Ewart/ Harry Haynes) and Mr. Strachan (Sue Smith/ Richard McGrath) as two of his main opponents. Murphy and Lee also have a good chance with Hollinwell in the novice chase at 15.50, but in theory he cannot give weight to the smart Abbeybraney (Howard Johnson/ Denis O´Regan).

At Leicester, where the going is confusingly described as heavy on the hurdles course and good to soft on the chase course, we hope to see German-bred Early Wings (Caroline Bailey/ Christian Williams) finally record his first British win (after 19 attempts!) in the novice handicap chase at 14.10. Richard Guest and jockey Paddy Aspell provide the main opposition with the consistent Russian Invader, and can follow up half an hour later with Applaude in the selling hurdle; this one, after a series of poor efforts on the flat, was a revelation when his winning his first race over hurdles this CD 10 days ago. We have narrowed down the handicap chase at 15.10 to just two runners, Grand Slam Hero and Vamizi, and the handicap hurdle an hour later to Shadow Dancer and Deep Reflection, but they are both wide open races in which almost anything could win.