MURPHY NEEDS NO EGGING ON TO GET AMONG THE FAKENHAM WINNERS
Fakenham’s traditional Easter Monday meeting looks set for competitive National Hunt contests after entries were announced for the six-race card sponsored by Aldiss.
Feature is the 3.58pm Aldiss Confined Hurdle worth £12,500 while at 4.33pm the Aldiss Handicap Chase has 11 entries for the longest race of the day.
Trainer Olly Murphy has a fine record north in Norfolk and he has Dinofromberlais in the feature, the gelding fresh from a first career success when scoring at Fakenham in March.
There are plenty of worthy rivals among the 13 entries, including the consistent Nick Kent trained Diamond Koda, with Tom Broughton booked to ride. The gelding was second at Haydock having also been runner-up on his previous outing at Doncaster in February.
Cynthia Woods has Bread and Butter running for the first time from her stable since moving from Murphy’s yard. The 10-year-old won at both Huntingdon and Market Rasen at the end of last year.
The 4.33pm chase sees Ben Case possibly double-handed as he has both Ronnies Reflection and Felton Bellevue among the entries. Ronnies Reflection won at Leicester in February while Felton Bellevue finished fourth at Chepstow last time, immediately behind another of the entries, Evan Williams’ Puddlesinthepark.
Provide exertions at Southwell this week do not prove too taxing, Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer could let her nine-year-old gelding Cloudy Wednesday take his chance at a course where he was runner-up in January.
The action starts at 2.13pm with the Bruce Towers and Sons Mechanical Engineers Claiming Chase in which Murphy has Champagnesuperover trying to follow up his February victory at Hereford. Rivals could include veteran Mortens Leam, a Fakenham winner in January for trainer Michael Hawker, and El Rojo Grande for Katy Price.
Murphy has Dambuster, a former two-time winner on the flat for Andrew Balding in the 2.48pm Fairfax and Favour Juvenile Maiden Hurdle, the gelding runner-up on hurdles debut at Stratford.
Elforleather, a three-time flat winner for Jack Channon, could go for Alan King while Dan Skelton has former Ed Dunlop trained Wind River booked for his hurdling debut.
Three horses who filled that first three places at Fakenham in March, are in the 3.23pm Cecil and Sheila Buttifant Memorial Mares’ Hurdle. Remarkable Flight beat Arenas Del Tiempo and Sawpit Sienna then and all three carry entries for a repeat meeting.
The closing 5.08pm Racing TV Mares Bumper has 21 entries including Lucy Wadham’s Shotgun Shirley, Nicky Henderson’s Hereford third Uptown Lass, Claim Du Brizais and Queensworthy for Skelton and Murphy’s Misty Sunrise.
