Tag Archives: Fakenham Raceourse

Jarrold Ladies Day at Fakenham Racecourse

Jarrold Ladies Day | DECLARATIONS

The ladies have their day in the limelight at Fakenham on Sunday afternoon when the Jarrold sponsored Ladies Day completes the 2017/18 National Hunt season at the north Norfolk course.

The feature race is the £10,000 plus to the winner Jarrold Ladies Day Chase at 2.50pm in which five battle it out over three miles and 18 fences.

Princeton Royale, trained by Neil King, is the favourite under seven-pound claimer Jack Andrews. A Fakenham regular and twice a runner-up at the course, Princeton Royale runs after a victory at Stratford.

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill has also eyed up the attractive prize and sends Easy Street, an eight-year-old gelding to do battle under Aidan Coleman. The horse was off the course for almost a year before returning a month ago to score at Warwick.

Of the five runners, also in with a chance is Hedgeinator under James Bowen for Christian Williams. The gelding was on a hat-trick when he ran in the Norfolk National at Fakenham’s last meeting, finishing fourth. A drop back in trip should help.

Stratford-based trainer Olly Murphy has been a star at the course this season and has real hopes of further winners, beginning in the opening hurdle at 2.20pm in which he has Emmas Dilemma who was recently third at Market Rasen.

Fifth Shades for Bowen and Williams, a runner-up at Huntingdon on Bank Holiday Monday, and Charlie Pogson’s West To Crossgales, a Southwell runner-up a week ago, are main rivals in the seven-runner event.

Murphy has the help of champion jockey Richard Johnson in the 3.25 maiden hurdle on Yensir, third on debut at Ludlow and expected to improve. Chief threats are Artful Artist, having a first start for five months for Richard Newland and Sam Twiston-Davies, hurdling debutant Guiding Star for Harry Whittington and Pam Sly’s Haafapiece.

Only four go in the 3.55pm novice chase in which Newmarket trainer Michael Wigham’s three-times Fakenham winner Gin and Tonic could score again. Second at Huntingdon on Monday over hurdles, the gelding reverts to the bigger obstacles. Ballycamp, third on both his last two starts is the main rival.

Eight lady amateurs battle out the 4.25pm hurdle with trainer Neil King double-handed with Canford Thompson and previous Fakenham winner Dizzey Heights. But the race may go to Olly Murphy’s Bisoubisou, a course winner in November.

The finale at 4.55pm sees six contest the 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards Novice Chase, headed by Millen Dollar Man, a winner at the last meeting under Richie McLernon for Alex Dunn. But it may be worth watching Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer’s Midnight Bliss, unbeaten in her last three starts in point-to-points.


Selections: 2.20pm Emmas Dilemma; 2.50pm Easy Street; 3.25pm Yensir; 3.55pm Gin and Tonic; 4.25pm Bisoubisou; 4.55pm Midnight Bliss.

Words by Terry Redhead


DATE OF NEXT RACE MEETING: JARROLD LADIES DAY, SUNDAY 3RD JUNE 2018

FIRST RACE TIME: 2.20 PM

Book Tickets at Fakenham Racecourse

February Meeting | ENTRY REPORT

Fakenham’s feature race at its meeting on Wednesday (February 7) looks set to be a cracking three-mile hurdle contest at 3.05pm.

There are 14 entries at the five-day stage for the Download the ATR App Handicap Hurdle including Harry Whittington’s eight-year-old gelding Octagon. After winning at Southwell in November, Octagon went on to complete a hat-trick with further victories at Leicester, and then at Sedgefield on Boxing Day.

There may be a royal runner in opposition in the shape of six-year-old gelding Take To Heart. Owned by the Queen and trained by Nicky Henderson, the gelding won twice in June before finishing down the field in November at Ascot.

Prolific Fakenham scorer Olly Murphy trained four winners at the last Fakenham meeting, taking his tally for the season to 12 at the course, and most have entries again.

Bisoubisou and Flow With Eve, first and second last time, and Hurricane Rita, also a Fakenham winner at the last meeting, are all entered in the 3.35pm Toftrees Mares Handicap Hurdle.

Murphy has six entries in the opener, the Sculthorpe Maiden Hurdle at 2 pm including Swaffham Bulbeck, a four-year-old gelding second at Warwick a fortnight ago on stable debut.

Provided he makes the long trip from northern trainer Donald McCain’s yard, Nefyn Bay looks interesting if taking his chance in the 2.30pm Lycetts Handicap Chase over three miles, the horse markedly up in trip after winning at Musselburgh in Scotland last month.

The second chase is the 4.05pm Shereford Handicap Chase in which Murphy has entered Wood Pigeon, a scorer under champion jockey Richard Johnson at the last Fakenham meeting. Johnson is the leading rider at Fakenham this season, with seven victories in the bag, making him the clear leader in the race for the course’s David Turner Trophy.

Southern trainer, Gary Moore has entered Stoical Patient, the nine-year-old mare a Plumpton faller when bidding for a hat-trick after victories at that course, and neighbouring Fontwell, earlier in the season.

The finale is the 4.35pm Raynham Novice Hurdle in which Stuart Edmunds may run six-year-old Kalochi, very impressive when scoring for the first time in her career at the north Norfolk course back in November. Since then the mare has won again, at Leicester, after previously finishing third at Huntingdon on Boxing Day.


Words by Terry Redhead 

James’s Racecourse Run for Injured Jockeys Fund

Yesterday, Tuesday, 28th March 2017 saw the second day into a 5-day challenge to run at all 34 National Hunt Racecourses to raise money for Injured Jockey Fund. James Clarkson aged 11, has decided to raise funds for this racing charity between 27th and 31st March and has already raised over £4750 and is now only just over £1000 away from reaching his target of £6500.

On his Just Giving Page James said:

“I’m hoping to run all of the National Hunt Racecourses in England over 5 days at the end of March. Overall the total mileage that I have to run is 50 miles and we will be driving 1,659 miles. It will take five days to complete and the dates are the 27th-31st March. I have done all the organisation for a school project – please sponsor me as it will all go to The Injured Jockeys Fund which is a very good cause.

Thank you to all of the racecourses for allowing me to run around their tracks. Also thank you to my Dad for taking a week off work to do all of the driving! 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.” 

 

David Hunter and James Clarkson after the mile run raising funds for Injured Jockeys Fund.,
David Hunter and James Clarkson after the mile run raising funds for Injured Jockeys Fund.

 

 

If you would like to support James, you can visit his Just Giving page and donate online >> James’s Racecourse Run.

On behalf of us all here at Fakenham – we wish you best of luck and we are certain that you will not only reach, but will also exceed your target. #GoJames