LUCY EYES QUEEN BOUDICCA RICHES AS FAKENHAM SUPPORTS THE FARMING COMMUNITY
ELEVEN mares will battle it out in one of the richest races of the Fakenham racecourse season at its Sky Bet Raceday on Sunday.
On a day when two races are live on ITV, Fakenham has invited the farming community to take tractors to the course to show support against the government’s decision to charge inheritance tax on farms.
“The take up from the farming community has been great. This is not a protest. It is an exciting day of high-quality racing. I would like the centre of the course to be filled with tractors to illustrate the frustration the rural community has about this devasting farm inheritance tax the government is determined to implement,” said Fakenham chief executive David Hunter.
The two races live on ITV are the 2.45pm Sky Bet Cheltenham Non-Runner No Bet Mares’ Hurdle and the 3.20pm Sky Bet Queen Boudicca Series Final Mares’ Chase, the latter worth £50,000, with more than £26,000 for the winner.
Newmarket’s Lucy Wadham, approaching 500 career winners as a trainer, has had a stunning 70 victories at Fakenham and she runs Telepathique, a seven-year-old mare under Tom Cannon.
Telepathique was second in a listed race at Warwick having previously won at Fakenham when she beat Gazette Bourgeoise. Ben Case’s nine-year-old, who also runs, then won over course and distance on New Year’s Day.
Also fancied to feature are Getbazoutofhere and So Said I. The former, under Sean Bowen for Tom Gretton, had two Hereford wins before being placed at Cheltenham and Leicester while grey nine-year-old So Said I, for Joe Tizzard, was second at Cheltenham and Warwick before Christmas.
The 2.45pm hurdle race has 10 runners including Star Walking and Lindy Reilly. The latter, for trainer Dan Skelton, won at Fakenham on New Year’s Day but could be pressed by the Brian Hughes ridden Star Walking for trainer Harry Fry, the mare runner-up at Musselburgh and Exeter.
The 12.30pm opener sees New Year’s Day Fakenham winner Malago Rose returning for trainer Neil Mulholland while the 1.05pm sees Gary and Josh Moore saddle favourite Kalif D’Airy, a Boxing Day runner-up at Fontwell.
Veteran Mortens Leam is favourite for the 13-runner 1.40pm chase, the gelding fourth in his 33rd chase at Lingfield recently, although Kankin and Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer’s Cloudy Wednesday hold chances.
Fakenham Racing Club’s Wingmann goes in the 2.15pm maiden hurdle where Escapologist, making a debut for James Owen, is favourite, while the closing 3.55pm bumper sees the Moores
