Hereford Course Guide

Racing returned to Hereford after a four year hiatus in October 2016. The course, which is within walking distance of the town centre, has always been a popular track for the powerful West Country and Lambourn trainers to send horses to learn their trade.

Both Star de Mohaison and Mighty Man won Novices’ Hurdles at the track before landing glory at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals respectively whilst 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup hero State of Play also won a Hereford Novices’ Hurdle.

The course has also provided some racing firsts, in December 1991 Paul Nicholls saddled Olveston to victory, his first winner as a trainer and in April 1994 and Richard Johnson rode Rusty Bridge to victory in a Hunters’ Chase, providing the jockey with his first career win.

Jumps Racing

Hereford's right-handed circuit of about a mile and a half is almost square and has nine fences, of which the first after the winning post is taken on a turn. The home turn, which is on falling ground, is pretty sharp but the other bends are easy. Races have a tendency to be well run and the ground can get very testing in mid-winter. The course restarted racing in October 2016 after a four-year hiatus.

It’s great see Hereford staging meetings again, because it’s a track close to my heart. I rode my second-ever winner there, before partnering some horses around what has always been a very fair course. Whatever you’re on, over hurdles or fences, you need to be travelling nicely before the home turn because, if you’re not, others will get away from you once you start the downhill run into the home straight. You certainly don’t want to get too far behind at that stage. The final fence can be tricky and there used to be a fair few horses making mistakes there. After it – and after the last hurdle too – the track seems to widen out, which tends to make some horses wander. There’s a relatively short run-in but, because of the way the course opens out on you, it can sometimes seem like an eternity on a runner that’s getting a bit tired or looking around

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Hereford Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 8y	Little Pop (Good)	06 Oct 2016	3m 51.31s
2m 2f 208y	Copper Birch (Soft)	23 Nov 2016	4m 53.97s
2m 4f 194y	Emerging Force (Good)	06 Oct 2016	5m 7.72s
3m 1f 44y	Belmount (Good)	06 Oct 2016	6m 6.88s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 53y	Furiously Fast (Good)	06 Oct 2016	3m 50.54s
2m 3f 147y	Ilewin Geez (Good to Firm)	16 Oct 2018	4m 45.2s
2m 5f 163y	Arty Campbell (Good to Firm)	16 Oct 2018	5m 17.6s
3m 1f 119y	Georgina Joy (Good to Firm)	05 Nov 2018	6m 19.7s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 53y	Those Tiger Feet (Soft)	28 Nov 2018	3m 54.8s

Hereford Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Evan Williams	17	4	6	£36,469	23.53%	£0.74
Miss V Williams	16	3	4	£16,116	18.75%	£5.13
D Skelton	11	3	4	£15,948	27.27%	£9.38
Henry Oliver	9	3	3	£14,313	33.33%	£15.50
N A Twiston-Davies	10	3	2	£20,003	30%	£0.25
D A Rees	8	3	1	£12,346	37.5%	£10.88
Miss R Curtis	6	3	0	£17,298	50%	£4.50
Miss Kerry Lee	27	2	11	£22,772	7.41%	-£18.25
K C Bailey	8	2	5	£21,546	25%	£4.88
D L Williams	8	2	3	£10,007	25%	£33.50

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
W Greatrex	13	5	8	£22,874	38.46%	£3.85
Miss V Williams	35	5	7	£20,015	14.29%	-£9.40
A King	11	5	0	£26,878	45.45%	£4.03
T R George	17	4	7	£32,886	23.53%	-£0.42
P J Hobbs	21	3	12	£13,386	14.29%	-£15.73
Henry Oliver	19	3	7	£19,105	15.79%	£2.50
O Sherwood	16	3	4	£15,076	18.75%	-£7.67
Mrs N S Evans	12	3	4	£12,243	25%	£4.75
D Skelton	18	3	3	£11,372	16.67%	-£10.93
C J Mann	7	3	3	£12,852	42.86%	£0.11

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N P Mulholland	4	2	0	£4,809	50%	£5.83
W Greatrex	4	1	2	£3,119	25%	-£2.09
P J Hobbs	3	1	2	£2,599	33.33%	£4.00
Miss R Curtis	3	1	1	£1,560	33.33%	-£0.63
K C Bailey	3	1	0	£3,119	33.33%	£1.33
Miss V Williams	1	1	0	£2,274	100%	£3.50
Jonjo O'Neill	1	1	0	£2,599	100%	£3.00
H Morrison	1	1	0	£2,599	100%	£7.00
Olly Murphy	1	1	0	£2,599	100%	£1.50
N A Twiston-Davies	6	0	4	£	0%	-£6.00

Hereford Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Sheehan	8	3	4	£20,655	37.5%	£1.88
Sam Twiston-Davies	11	3	3	£26,435	27.27%	£3.50
R Johnson	18	2	9	£19,520	11.11%	-£10.90
R T Dunne	15	2	7	£21,119	13.33%	-£8.87
Charlie Deutsch	13	2	6	£11,957	15.38%	£5.25
T J O'Brien	11	2	4	£12,364	18.18%	£8.00
Sean Bowen	6	2	2	£13,516	33.33%	£7.00
N D Fehily	5	2	2	£7,798	40%	-£1.55
Aidan Coleman	5	2	2	£8,590	40%	£1.38
Alan Johns	5	2	1	£7,148	40%	£5.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Wayne Hutchinson	12	6	2	£30,257	50%	£6.28
R Johnson	44	5	29	£21,444	11.36%	-£32.26
Charlie Deutsch	17	4	4	£16,441	23.53%	£7.50
N D Fehily	13	4	4	£15,321	30.77%	-£1.05
A Tinkler	13	4	4	£17,286	30.77%	-£2.27
L P Aspell	15	4	3	£18,325	26.67%	-£2.92
R T Dunne	15	4	2	£19,127	26.67%	£23.50
Aidan Coleman	17	3	7	£11,567	17.65%	£5.25
Sean Bowen	16	3	6	£12,867	18.75%	-£0.50
Sam Twiston-Davies	12	3	4	£12,216	25%	-£2.58

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
R Johnson	4	3	1	£7,278	75%	£7.28
T Scudamore	4	2	0	£4,809	50%	£5.83
Charlie Deutsch	2	1	1	£2,274	50%	£2.50
Nick Scholfield	3	1	0	£2,599	33.33%	£1.00
David Bass	2	1	0	£3,119	50%	£2.33
A Tinkler	2	1	0	£2,599	50%	£6.00
Fergus Gregory	1	1	0	£2,599	100%	£1.50
Jamie Bargary	4	0	2	£	0%	-£4.00
L Treadwell	2	0	2	£	0%	-£2.00
G Sheehan	3	0	1	£	0%	-£3.00