Thursday's free feature, the Instant Expert racecard tab is one of Geegeez readers' most popular tools because it has the unique ability to condense the entire form profile of every runner in the race into a single, easily digestible, view covering the form in terms of wins (or places), runs, and win (or place) percentage for each of going, class, course, distance, and field size.
It also compares today’s official rating with the horse’s last winning official rating. The display is colour coded: green for a higher percentage rate, amber for a middling percentage, and red for a low percentage. Horses with no form under a certain condition have grey figures.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Where a horse has no UK/Irish form – i.e. it is having its first run in Britain or Ireland under Rules – it will not show up on Instant Expert at all.
We make this feature freely available to ALL readers EVERY Thursday for ALL races, including, naturally, our selection of 'free' races as follows...
- 2.45 Hexham
- 2.50 Limerick
- 3.00 Warwick
- 4.17 Naas
- 7.00 Wolverhampton
...and the highest rated of the three UK free races is the 2.45 Hexham, a 5-runner, Class 4, 4yo+ handicap hurdle over a left-handed two miles on heavy ground...
DELUXE RANGE was last seen three months ago finishing out of the places a class higher than this and runs for the first time since having wind surgery. Jockey and yard work well together (see below). Sadly the horse has failed to win any of its last thirteen and would probably prefer a longer trip.
BEAT BOX was a Class 5 winner at this trip three starts ago after having a wind op and was then second when stepped up two classes next time out, but was well beaten at Class 5 last time around and will need to improve back up in class.
HORN CAPE comes from a yard in decent form that has done well here at this venue and has found a few winners for today's jockey. This 6yr old was a nine-length winner over just half a furlong further last time out, getting off the mark in style but is now up in class and carries a 7lb penalty for the win.
MISS LAMB also won last time out (over course and distance) for a third win in a seven-race career that has seen this race's only mare finish outside the first three home just once (3 wins) and will seek to improve her yard's already excellent record at this venue off what looks a fairly lenient mark for her handicap debut.
I DOUBT THAT has failed to make the frame in seven races on turf (4 x flat & 3 x hurdles), but finished 1712 in four A/W starts, winning at 1m4f and 2m, along with a 2m runner-up spot two starts ago. Second to last of eleven over hurdles (74 lengths) last time out, though. hard to fancy on handicap debut, but does receive 20, 14, 13 and 9 pounds weight from his four opponents.
At this stage, it looks to me like Horn Cape and Miss Lamb would be the two to focus on and we're probably not getting any decent odds on either of them winning! Instant Expert favours the mare here on win stats...
...with Beat Box a regular placer over today's trip...
Neither Beat Box nor Horn Cape have fared well at Class 4, but Miss Lamb certainly looks the one to beat here. Based on recent outings, she's likely to be prominent early on and I suspect Deluxe range might well keep her company, whilst Beat Box is the probable early back marker...
If we then look at how similar races here at Hexham have gone...
...then that's not great news for Beat Box, assuming we have a truly run race and all horses behave as they have previously.
Summary
Short and hopefully sweet today, with the mare Miss Lamb being the one to beat for me at 13/8 (Hills was the only price available at 4.15pm). She ticks boxes in every bit of analysis we've done and should take this in her stride off a mark of 110. Horn Cape is probably the best of the rest, but up in class and weight here and doesn't really appeal at 6/4. That's probably the 1-2, but the 15/2 Beat Box might make a better E/W bet, based on his results at this trip and he doesn't seem to mind heavy ground.
Other Recent Posts by This Author:
- Tix Picks, Saturday 04/01/25
- Tix Picks, Friday 03/01/25
- Tix Picks, Thursday 02/01/25
- Tix Picks, Tuesday 31/12/24
- Tix Picks, Monday 30/12/24
