There is evening action at Hexham on Tuesday, and we’ve got free Hexham tips on-site from our top tipping team of Alan Kelly and Charlie McCann.
The trainer/jockey combination of Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen make the long journey to the Northumberland racecourse with two contenders, Foxey in the handicap chase at 6.28pm and ROCCOVANGO in this 2m 4f novices’ hurdle. Whatever the fate of the former, the pair should not go home empty handed as the latter is fancied to concede the weight to his main rival, the Lucinda Russell-trained Reforme, who gets a handy 12lb from the selection (including jockey Alan Doyle’s 5lb claim).
Roccovango joined Murphy at the beginning of the year, following a spell in Ireland and with Ian Williams, and almost won at the first time of asking for connections, going down by a neck to Harry Derham’s Nordic Tiger (rated 119) at Huntingdon when trying to concede 5lb to that improving hurdler, with subsequent winner Bluegrass back in third.
Roccovango made no mistake back on that course just over five weeks later, running out an easy three length winner of a soft ground maiden. I expect to see the selection in an even better light on Hexham’s forecast good ground. Apart from Reforme, the other one to consider is George Bewley’s multiple winning pointer Wise Move.
The feature race on the card is the 2m 4f+ handicap hurdle and HARTUR D’OUDAIRIES (Nap) does appear to be finally getting his act together, and I believe he is ready for a step back up to this trip, having just got up to win over the minimum distance here earlier in the month.
A 3lbs rise looks fair for that narrow success given he made a serious error two out and did well to get back up on the line to beat the inform Horn Cape. Churchill Lad should ensure a decent gallop, which should set the race up perfectly for the selection who has never won over the trip but hinted at Musselburgh on his penultimate run over near 2m 2f that this distance would now be within his compass.