FEMALE jockeys get their chance to shine again at Fakenham on Sunday when they take centre stage at the Norfolk racecourse’s Sky Bet Christmas Raceday.
The Sky Bet Super Sub Female Jockeys’ Chase at 2.15pm is the feature of the seven-race pre-Christmas entertainment and the £15,000 contest has attracted 13 entries.
The list of possible runners includes five previous Fakenham winners and two jockeys who are no strangers to success at the track have been booked for rides.
Lilly Pinchin will partner one of trainer James Owen’s horses. He has two entries in the shape of Hecouldbetheone, a recent Doncaster third, and Shantou Lucky, second at Plumpton recently after earlier victories at Uttoxeter, Newton Abbot and Plumpton.
Gina Andrews is another who knows her way around Fakenham and she may be seen on her trainer husband Tom Ellis’ grey mare Tankardstown Diva, a Huntingdon runner-up after successes over hurdles at Ludlow and Market Rasen.
Another interesting entry comes from trainer Paul Nicholls’ stable. He has daughter Olive booked to ride Toothless, a seven-year-old gelding fifth at Wincanton this month in his first run since winning a chase at Plumpton 571 days earlier.
There are two other chases, starting with the 1.15pm Sky Bet Queen Boudicca Series Mares’ Chase in which three previous Fakenham winners are entered. It could be the day’s most competitive encounter with Olly Murphy’s Largy Force, Neil Mulholland’s Overabottleofred and Dan Skelton’s Settle Down Jill all holding entries.
The 2.45pm Sky Bet Chase is a marathon of more than three-and-a-half miles and Tom Greeton has two entries in Jukebox d’Eddy, a Market Rasen winner and One Last Glance. A more appropriate winner would be Barry Brennan’s gelding, He Is A Cracker, who so far has done all his running at Fontwell.
Racing begins at 12.15pm when trainer Alan King has two entries for the Sky Bet Acca Freeze Mares’ Hurdle in Hereford winner Granny Hawkins and Uttoxeter fourth, And She Was.
Half an hour later Fergal O’Brien has Zenato the likely favourite for the Sky Bet Extra Place Hurdle. Zenato is chasing a hat-trick after wins at Sedgefield and Stratford, although Richard Phillips’ Bluenose Belle is also interesting.
In The Age for Skelton, Jonquilla for Sarah Humphrey and Tony Joe for Ellis look good rivals for the 1.45pm Sky Bet Build A Bet Maiden Hurdle while the finale is the 3.15pm Sky Bet for the Fans Hurdle in which Taunton winner Alright Dai holds an entry for Mulholland.
By Terry Redhead.
