5:08 Hexham
The 5:08 at Hexham is a Class 5 handicap steeplechase over an extended three miles on good ground. A field of just seven runners lines up for the Lee "Bazza" Jenkinson Memorial, with the KTB Fit ratings headed by the 12-year-old Super Citizen on 66. The race features a mix of modest and fair performers, several with Hexham form in the book, though recent consistency varies markedly across the card.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is a lone leader with high confidence, pointing to an uncontested lead that will be difficult for closers to overcome. Lights Are Green is the only front-runner in the field and is expected to bowl along in isolation from the outset. The remaining six runners are all held-up types who will be produced late, raising the key question of whether any can bridge the gap to a clear leader who is allowed to dictate terms throughout.
The KTB Fit ranking
-
1Super Citizen KTB Selection66/100
Super Citizen arrives as the clear top pick on KTB ratings with a Fit score of 66. A useful performer, he has won at today's trip and shown consistent placed form in his recent starts, with the sequence 14323- underlining his reliability at this level. The Brian Hughes and Lucinda Hughes combination carries a 3/23 record with an A/E of 0.95, while the trainer boasts a 50% strike rate at Hexham from a small sample with an A/E of 2.55. He has only one previous run at the track which produced a poor result, and his record on good ground is modest with just one win from 16 attempts. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he will need to be switched on at the right moment if the uncontested leader is to be reeled in.
-
2Ballydangan55/100
Ballydangan is rated the second principal with a KTB Fit score of 55. This modest performer has won twice at Hexham from five runs and holds a solid 2-12 record at this trip. His recent form has been patchy, reading 4P4P-7, and he remains winless on good ground from ten starts although he has been placed twice. The trainer Hugh Burns has a 10% strike rate at the track from 29 runs with an A/E of 1.83, and the combination with Peter Kavanagh shows 2/19 with an A/E of 1.82. Usually held up with high confidence and producing his effort late, he will be aiming to come from off the pace in a race where the leader may get first run.
-
3Lights Are Green54/100
Lights Are Green is the third principal on a KTB Fit of 54 and is the sole front-runner in the field. A fair performer, he has won both here and at today's trip, with a course record of 1 from 10. He showed a bit more spark when third on his penultimate start but has been pulled up twice since, leaving his overall profile looking patchy with recent efforts PP-3P4. The yard has a solid 10% strike rate at Hexham from 306 runs with an A/E of 0.94, and the jockey Jonathon Bewley adds an 11% strike rate at the track. He acts on good ground with two wins from 18 attempts, and his tendency to make the running or race prominently could prove pivotal given the uncontested lead on offer.
-
4Stay Hopeful42/100
Stay Hopeful is the fourth and final principal with a KTB Fit score of 42. A modest performer, he has shown bits of ability in recent starts, finishing third last time out with form figures of 9-4673. He steps up in trip to 3m today for the first time, which poses a fresh question of his stamina. The trainer Cian Collins has only one previous run at Hexham which is too small a sample to judge, though the jockey Sean Bowen brings a strong 29% strike rate at the track from 38 rides with an A/E of 0.94. Usually held up with high confidence and producing his effort late, he will need the race to fall right if he is to capitalise on any weakening of the leader.
-
5Uncle Al42/100
Uncle Al is a fair performer who has been competitive on good ground without winning, with placed efforts from ten starts. He has shown some ability at Hexham but his three runs here read UR, 3rd and PU with no win or place, while the trainer's modest 4% strike rate at the track is another negative; he drops back in trip having failed to win in two previous attempts at this distance.
-
6Croagh Patrick41/100
Croagh Patrick is a modest 11-year-old who won once here from nine attempts and has placed four times from twelve starts at this trip. Recent form has been patchy with a pulled-up and two fifths from his last three runs, while dropping back from 3m2½f today looks a neutral move; the trainer operates at a 7% strike rate from 90 runs at Hexham and the horse has one win from 22 starts on good ground.
-
7Deadheat39/100
Deadheat is a fair sort who showed a bit when third at Downpatrick last time but has a poor record round here and has never placed on good ground from two starts. He drops back from 3m2f to a trip he has won at before, though the trainer's small-sample record at Hexham offers no real guide.
KTB verdict
Super Citizen is the KTB Selection and sets a clear standard on his recent consistency and ability at this trip. The 12-year-old has regularly been placed in similar company and the Hughes partnership knows the track well, though his modest record on good ground and single poor effort here cannot be ignored. The main dangers are likely to come from Lights Are Green if allowed to dictate up front, while Ballydangan's course record gives him each-way claims if he can rediscover his best form from off the pace. Stay Hopeful and the remainder of the field look to have more to find on the balance of their KTB assessments.
KTB Selection Super Citizen
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:03 UTC, 2 Oct. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Super Citizen | 15/2 | 7Bet |
| Ballydangan | 8/1 | Bet365 |
| Lights Are Green | 15/2 | Bet365 |
| Stay Hopeful | 11/10 | 7Bet |
| Uncle Al | 6/1 | Bet365 |
| Croagh Patrick | 22/1 | BetTom |
| Deadheat | 6/1 | 7Bet |
This is the narrative read of the 5:08 Hexham. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Hexham racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Hexham results & records page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is most likely to take the uncontested lead?
Lights Are Green is the only front-runner in the field and tends to make the running or race on the pace.
How many winners has the trainer of the KTB Selection had at Hexham?
Lucinda Hughes has a 50% strike rate at Hexham from two runs.
Which horse has the strongest course record at Hexham?
Ballydangan has won twice at Hexham from five runs, while Croagh Patrick and Lights Are Green have each won once here.
What is the run-style of the top four rated horses on KTB Fit?
Super Citizen, Ballydangan and Stay Hopeful are all held-up types, while Lights Are Green is the front-runner.
Has any horse in the field won at the trip before?
Super Citizen, Ballydangan, Lights Are Green, Croagh Patrick and Deadheat have all won at today's trip.
18+. Analysis and entertainment only — no guarantee of profit. KTB race previews are published for interest and are not betting advice. Only ever stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, and set your own limits. Free, confidential help: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (GamCare.org.uk); in Ireland, the GamblingCare.ie helpline on 1800 936 725. Self-exclude at any time via GAMSTOP.
More from Kickthebookies