SHEEHAN SETS HIS SIGHTS ON SOME ‘EXTRA’ FAKENHAM WINNERS
Gavin Sheehan, jockey on the winner of the only race at Fakenham to have been completed in the new 2023/24 season, has a cracking chance of adding to his tally at the Norfolk course on Monday.
Sheehan won the opening race at the previous meeting which was then abandoned due to the conditions. Fakenham applied for Monday’s extra fixture after its scheduled opening card was abandoned before meeting two came to an unfortunate and abrupt halt.
Sheehan, fifth in the jockeys’ championship with 43 winners from 225 rides, has two excellent opportunities for trainer Martin Keighley. He rides hat-trick seeking Ben Buie in the 1.30pm Sky Bet Build A Bet Chase, the nine-year-old gelding already successful at Hereford in October and Warwick the previous month.
Main rival in the six-runner contest is Bryony Frost on the Lucy Wadham trained Scene One, making a chasing debut after winning a hurdles contest at Warwick in April.
In the 2.05pm Gatsbys Fakenham Winner at England Business Awards Maiden Hurdle, Sheehan and Keighley have Shinji, second at Stratford in October, although that gelding faces eight rivals, including Cuban Court and Star Legend. Lily Pinchin, leading female jump jockey this season with 10 winners from 76 rides, partners the James Owen trained Star Legend.
Sheehan rides Crem Fresh in the 2.40pm Win 50k With the ITV7 For Free Mares’ Hurdle. Main rivals are likely favourite Sinurita for Neil Mulholland and the Anthony Carson trained Courtney Silver, a Fontwell winner in August.
All eyes will be on Fakenham Racing Club’s Allo Allo in the 3.10pm Sky Bet Chase. Trained by Stuart Edmunds, Allo Allo won twice over hurdles at Fakenham last season before winning over Bangor’s chase course in April.
Of the seven-year-old gelding’s five opponents, the one to watch could be Kadex for Frost and Wadham, a Plumpton winner on his second chase start last month.
Four contest the opening 12.25pm Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle, three of them having met at Ludlow last month. Winner then was Grain of Hope and she meets up again with Edmunds’ Limelight, fourth in that Ludlow contest, and the Pinchin ridden Royal Athena, fifth at Ludlow, but runner-up last week in a Lingfield flat race.
King Otis is market leader for the 12.55pm Save Our Sport Sign The Petition Hurdle, the Owen trained gelding under 10-pound claimer Jamie Gambin, looking for his second career success from what will be his 14th ride.
The day closes with the 3.40pm Sky Bet Request A Bet Open NH Flat contest in which half of the eight runners are making their racecourse debuts.
