FORMER COURSE WINNERS HEADING BACK FOR MORE FAKENHAM SUCCESS
Racehorses with experience of winning at Fakenham earlier this season are among the initial entries for the course’s Valentines Day seven-race fixture on Friday.
Longest test is the 3.40pm Tim Barclay Memorial Chase over more than three-and-a-half miles and Newmarket trainer Lucy Wadham has Tom Cannon booked to ride Samourai One.
The eight-year-old gelding was pulled up at Fontwell last time but had previously won at Fakenham in December and been second in north Norfolk the previous month.
Among possible rivals are Siberian Star, from Peter Bowen’s stable, the 10-year-old a Catterick winner after finishing second at Fakenham on New Year’s Day, and Sarah Humphrey’s Lyrical Genius, third behind Samourai One in that December contest.
In the 3.08pm Pudding Norton Hurdle, there are three last time winners in the entry of 12 including Jonjo O’Neill’s Mersey Street. The seven-year-old gelding won over course and distance in January while Edgewell, for trainer Rebecca Menzies, won at Southwell a fortnight ago and Fame and Fun scored over bigger obstacles last time, at Fontwell, for the Bowen stable.
Wadham and Cannon have Aviation among 10 entries for the 2.08pm EBF Novice Hurdle, the grey a runner-up at Fakenham in January, behind Escapologist, James Owen’s winner on that day also a possible runner.
Paul Nicholls has two entered and whichever of Go West or Bond Broker will be partnered by champion jockey Harry Cobden. Both are seeking hat-tricks after Go West won at Taunton after scoring at Fakenham in December and Bond Broker won at Southwell.
The action starts at 1.38pm with 15 entered for the Fakenham Selling Hurdle, including last time out winner Zain Farhh for Sam England. Most promising rivals appear to be Owen’s Addosh, Jennie Candlish’s Caldwell and Gary and Josh Moore’s Tara Iti, third at Fakenham on New Year’s Day.
The 2.38pm £50,000 Queen Boudicca Series Mares Qualifier Chase has Demoiselle Kap entered by Candlish, the mare having scored at Sedgefield while Moviddy, fifth at Fakenham in the final of the series at the last meeting, has been entered by Noel Williams.
The 4.10pm Racing TV Open Maiden NH Falt race sees two entries both of whom were runners-up on their debuts Graeme the Grey, from Nick Gifford’s yard and Olly Murphy’s Kefir d’Oudairies, second at Hereford.
The finale, at 4.40pm is the William Bulwer-Long Memorial Hunter Chase in which Dan Skelton has two entries with Heidi Palin booked to ride. They are Frere D’Armes, a Fakenham winner in December and Jet Plane, recently successful at Wetherby.
