Hexham Course Guide

Left handed, undulating, with a steep climb from the end of the back straight to the finish. Races over hurdles generally steadily run, but be wary of horses kicked for home a long way out, the testing finish regularly catching out horses who look to be moving comfortably in a clear lead before meeting the uphill section. Fences generally regarded as easy with few fallers, though there are a disproportionately high number of unseats, possibly on account of a generally lower standard of jockeyship as well as horse.

I rode a lot at Hexham while I was a claimer, a fair bit too later on, and always liked it. It’s a lovely track, set in beautiful surroundings, and, while you don’t get much time to appreciate that as a jockey, it’s a great place to ride. It’s a very fair course, with lovely fences, but the ground plays a huge part in how you ride it, as it’s stiff – particularly when conditions are testing – and takes a bit of getting. There are undulations you have to be aware of too and it can be a long way home if you start racing a mile out.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald