5:17 Hexham
This Class 4 National Hunt Flat race at Hexham over 2m48y on good ground serves as a Category 2 Elimination contest and features a field of eight with plenty of debutants and lightly-raced types. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly grouped between 56 and 38, underlining the modest level of information available and the open nature of the event. With several runners having shown only glimpses of ability and others entirely unproven, the race poses a classic bumper puzzle where yard and jockey records at the venue may carry more weight than the bare form on offer.
How the race shapes up
With a number of debutants and no strong front-running types declared, the pace shape looks likely to be on the steady side with the race developing into a test of stamina rather than speed. Several runners are expected to track or race prominently given their yard preferences, while others may be held up to see how the race unfolds. The key question is whether any of the more experienced types can impose a decent gallop or if the newcomers will be asked to show their hand from the front early on.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Finjimk KTB Selection56/100Finjimk is a debutant with very little to go on beyond pedigree and sales background.
- 2John Wemmick53/100John Wemmick is a debutant with no racecourse form to go on.
- 3Budworth Boy50/100Budworth Boy showed fair form when fourth on debut over this trip at Hexham.
- 4Loman Lady46/100Loman Lady makes her debut for the Skelton yard.
- 5Ebchester45/100Ebchester has only one run under his belt and showed little on it.
- 6Author Dora45/100Author Dora makes her debut for a yard that has a 10% strike rate at Hexham from 48 runs.
- 7Getaway Tobin43/100Trainer John C McConnell has a strong 37% strike rate at Hexham from 30 runs while Gavin Sheehan posts a solid 27% from 48 rides here so the booking looks posit…
- 8River Ore38/100River Ore has shown little in two starts to date, finishing a modest fourth and then sixth.
The contenders
Finjimk KTB Fit 56/100
Finjimk is a 4-year-old debutant with very little to go on beyond pedigree and sales background. The yard has no previous runners at Hexham while the jockey has struck at a 60% rate from five rides here. Recent form figures of F-P add little clarity for a horse making its first start. The KTB Fit rating of 56 nevertheless places him at the head of the numbers in a race short on hard data. Ben Harvey's strong record at the venue is a positive and the selection is taken to make a solid impression on debut.
John Wemmick KTB Fit 53/100
John Wemmick is a 5-year-old debutant with no racecourse form to go on. The yard has a solid 11% strike rate at Hexham and the jockey is equally at home here with a 12% record from plenty of rides. Pedigree and sales background will need to be decent to give this one a chance on first start. The KTB Fit of 53 keeps him firmly in the mix among the principals. Ryan Mania's local knowledge should ensure he is ridden to get the best out of the newcomer.
Budworth Boy KTB Fit 50/100
Budworth Boy showed fair form when fourth on debut over this trip at Hexham. The yard has a solid 12% strike rate here from 43 runs while the jockey is operating at 8% from 89 rides. With only one run on the clock and a small sample on this ground any assessment has to be cautious. The KTB Fit of 50 reflects that limited but not negligible piece of form. Trainer and jockey combined have a healthy 19% strike rate when teaming up, which adds a layer of confidence.
Loman Lady KTB Fit 46/100
Loman Lady makes her debut for the Skelton yard. Recent bumper form of 47-2 reads well enough on paper though the bare form is modest and this is her first run for the yard after a break. The trainer has a solid 27% strike rate at Hexham while Harry Skelton is operating at 33% here. The KTB Fit of 46 places her just outside the top three in the numbers. The switch to the Skeltons is the main point of interest and she could improve for the new stable.
The rest of the field
EbchesterKTB Fit 45/100
Ebchester has only one run under his belt and showed little on it. The yard has a modest 9% strike rate at Hexham from a big sample while Moscrop is operating at 8% here. With so little to go on this looks one for later.
Author DoraKTB Fit 45/100
Author Dora makes her debut for a yard that has a 10% strike rate at Hexham from 48 runs. The 5-year-old is by Blue Bresil out of a modest bumper winner who is a half-sister to a useful jumps performer, though the sales background offers little else to go on. With low data confidence this is very much an unknown quantity.
Getaway TobinKTB Fit 43/100
Trainer John C McConnell has a strong 37% strike rate at Hexham from 30 runs while Gavin Sheehan posts a solid 27% from 48 rides here so the booking looks positive. Getaway Tobin has shown very little in two starts to date and steps up markedly in trip today having been well held over shorter last time. With only two career runs the form is hard to weigh up and the data confidence remains low.
River OreKTB Fit 38/100
River Ore has shown little in two starts to date, finishing a modest fourth and then sixth. The drop back in trip today asks a fresh question of this lightly-raced 5-year-old. Trainer John Joseph Hanlon has a 0% strike rate from nine runs at Hexham while jockey Paddy Hanlon has had only two rides here.
KTB verdict
Finjimk is the KTB Selection at the head of a modest bunch where information is at a premium. The debutant benefits from Ben Harvey's excellent 60% strike rate at Hexham and the KTB numbers rate him the most likely to deliver a positive first effort. John Wemmick and Budworth Boy look the most obvious dangers, the latter having at least shown something when fourth over course and distance on debut. Loman Lady cannot be entirely dismissed given the strength of the Skelton team at this venue, but she needs to improve on what she has shown so far.
KTB Selection Finjimk
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:02 UTC, 13 Jun. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Finjimk | 40/1 | Bet365 |
| John Wemmick | 3/1 | Bet365 |
| Budworth Boy | 22/1 | Bet365 |
| Loman Lady | 13/8 | Bet365 |
| Ebchester | 10/1 | Bet365 |
| Author Dora | 20/1 | William Hill |
| Getaway Tobin | 10/3 | 7Bet |
| River Ore | 10/1 | Bet365 |
This is the narrative read of the 5:17 Hexham. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Hexham racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the strongest recent piece of form at this track and trip?
Budworth Boy showed fair form when fourth on debut over this trip at Hexham.
Which trainer has the highest strike rate at Hexham among those represented?
John C McConnell has a 37% strike rate at Hexham from 30 runs.
How many runners are making their racecourse debut?
Finjimk, John Wemmick and Author Dora are all debutants.
Which jockey has the best strike rate at Hexham in this field?
Ben Harvey has a 60% strike rate at Hexham from five rides.
Who is the KTB Selection and what is its Fit Score?
Finjimk is the KTB Selection with a Fit Score of 56.
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