CANNON SET TO FIRE FOR FAKENHAM SILVER AFTER STRIKING FESTIVAL GOLD
Jockey Tom Cannon and trainer Alan King scooped the Arkle Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday on Edwardstone and this afternoon (Friday) switch to Fakenham in a bid to land the £25,000 Country Food Trust Silver Cup.
The 3.45pm feature race has six runners, with Cannon and King represented by Restitution, a gelding out of Frankel. The four-year-old was third of 10 at Kempton just after Christmas and followed that by finishing runner-up at Ascot in January.
Main threats in a race which starts minutes after the end of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, are Olympic Conqueror, Vocal Duke and Glimpse of Gold, all previous Fakenham winners.
Charlie Hammond partners Olympic Conquerer for Dr Richard Newland, the gelding a Fakenham winner last year, while Brendan Powell is on the Toby Lawes trained Vocal Duke and James Best partners Sarah Humphrey’s Glimpse of Gold, a three-time course winner.
There are five in the £20,000 Prince Carlton Chase at 2.25pm, the quintet headed by the David Pipe trained Via Dolorosa under Philip Armson. The gelding carries a seven-pound penalty for victory at Southwell last week.
Bryony Frost partners former course winner Admiral Barratry for trainer Lucy Wadham while Tristan Durrell claims seven pounds off Go Steady for Dan Skelton, the gelding third at Huntingdon earlier this month.
Biggest field sees 10 go in the opening 1.10pm Robert Case Memorial Maiden Hurdle in which Rewired looks favourite under Cilin Leonard for Dr Newland, following his runner-up effort at Doncaster in February.
The 1.45pm Country Food Trust Claiming Hurdle looks ready made for Coole Well under Max Kendrick for trainer Jake Coulson. The gelding returns after a break and a third place finish at Leicester.
Cannon partners Chris Gordon’s Hiway One O Three in the 3.05pm Walter Wales Memorial Hurdle, the gelding having scored at Carlisle eight days ago.
Three rivals are course and distance winners, including Stuart Edmunds’ Here Comes Henry, Jumping Cats for Gary Moore and Thirtyfourstitches for Dr Newland, that gelding having won at Fakenham in January and February.
The 4.25pm Hellesdon Leather and Cloth Furnishing Company Chase is over more than three-and-a-half miles and favourite will be Exod’ela for Jamie Snowden.
The seven-race cards closes with the 5pm Robert Hoare Memorial Open Hunters Chase in which four go, with likely favourite 12-year-old grey mare Activial for trainer Francesca Poste.
