'He's primed to go again' - trainer quotes and analysis for Hexham's feature handicap chase

It's going to be tough going at Hexham, where the ground is heavy and they raced only on Tuesday, so there must be a slight question mark over early favourite Twoshotsoftequila.

The six-year-old has winning form on soft ground, but has run consecutive career bests on going no slower than good to soft, and is up 7lb for his five-length Doncaster win on good four weeks ago.

He was a non-runner at Wetherby last week due to unsuitable ground (soft), but that was also the reason given for a no-show at Newcastle in February (good).

Aire Valley Lad and Taste The Fear are both course winners, although whether that means anything in the case of the former is a moot point as his success came in 2020 on good ground over just 2m. He does have winning form at 3m on soft though.

Taste The Fear did at least win his hurdle race at the course on soft, and while he has eight and a half lengths to find with Twoshotsoftequila on Doncaster running, he will be 7lb better off. All his recent form has been on a much quicker surface though.

Camp Belan was well backed for Lucinda Russell in first-time cheekpieces in the Hexham Marathon over four miles two weeks ago, but having flown over the first ditch he tripped on landing at the next and came down, bringing down the reopposing Donna's Delight.

He is at least a proper mudlark though, and he's preferred to Houston Texas, who is back on a good mark but is 3-3 at Carlisle and 0-9 at any other track with just one place (a second of four) to his name.
Race analysis by Paul Kealy

What they say

Rebecca Menzies, trainer of Twoshotsoftequila
He did nothing wrong when winning at Doncaster last time and has improved with every run this year. He has form at Hexham but the extremes of going is a bit of an unknown. He has a lot of weight but is built to carry it.

Richard Newland, trainer of Taste The Fear
This will be very different ground to what he is used to but he’s fresh and well so we’re giving it a go.

Nicky Richards, trainer of Houston Texas
Sean Quinlan thought he might not have got the trip in the Eider Chase last time but the ground was awful. Hopefully he'll get through this better and he’s down in trip, which should suit. He’s fit and well so we’re hopeful.

Lucinda Russell, trainer of Camp Belan
This track and trip should suit him and he was unlucky when he fell in a four-miler last time. He came back fresh and well from that and is primed to go again.
Reporting by David Milnes

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