Recent winner of Sandown’s Grand Military Gold Cup, Baden, is one of 17 entries for the feature event on Fakenham’s seven-race Easter Monday card.
Trained by Nicky Henderson and due to be ridden by Nico De Boinville, the seven-year-old grey gelding triumphed on March 9, and if taking his chance, is likely to start a short-priced favourite.
However, there are several other interesting looking entries for the race, the three-mile David Keith Memorial Handicap Chase, worth more than £11,000 to the winner.
Potters Legend, trained by Lucy Wadham, looked the likely winner of the Prince Carlton Chase at Fakenham’s last meeting before crashing out at the final fence over course and distance, in the race won by Morney Wing. Last time out winner Goohar, due to be ridden by Andrew Tinkler and trained by Henry Daly, a scorer at Ludlow in February, is also among the entries.
David Pipe has Dell Arca entered, the nine-year-old last winning at Newbury in November, taking the Pertemps Network Hurdle and now returning to chasing.
Dan Skelton’s Sam Red is in the original entries, the seven-year-old having won over course and distance back in October.
The card, which gets under way at 2.15pm, also features two Hunter Chase contests, the first the 2.50pm Robert Hoare Hunter Chase over 21 furlongs and the second, the Queen’s Cup Open Hunter Chase at 5.10pm over three miles.
In the former, there are 21 entries including hat-trick seeking In A Blue Dust, due to be ridden by Archie Wright for his father, trainer Nick.
The Queen’s Cup has a dozen entries at the five-day stage including a mount for Tim Gredley on the grey gelding Midnight Cowboy, whose last win was at Stratford in August when trained by Alan King.
Ascendant, winner at the last Fakenham meeting, and successful in five of his six last starts, has been entered in the 2.15pm opening selling hurdle while Michael Wigham’s regular Fakenham visitor Gin and Tonic is among the entries for the 3.25pm Cecil and Sheila Buttifant Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
Henderson has Taunton winner Comely in the 4.35pm handicap hurdle while Peter Bowen may run Cougar’s Gold.
In the finale, the National Hunt flat race, Pipe is likely to run Mechelen, runner-up on debut in a similar event at Taunton on March 12.
Words by Terry Redhead
DATE OF NEXT RACE MEETING: EASTER MONDAY, 2ND APRIL 2018
FIRST RACE TIME: 2.15 PM
