Horses already winners at Fakenham will be looking to make successful return trips on Friday when racegoers can watch the Norfolk racecourse’s seven National Hunt contests interspersed with the Cheltenham Gold Cup and other Festival races on the big screens.
While all eyes will be on the sport’s Blue Riband event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Fakenham’s feature is the £15,000 Fakenham Silver Cup Handicap Hurdle off at 4.15pm.
Trainer Nick Scholfield saw his Morning Mayhem win over course and distance at the last Fakenham meeting on February 13 and the gelding returns with Caoilin Quinn booked to ride.
Stuart Edmunds, a regular Fakenham winning trainer, has Bluegrass, another former Fakenham winner while also in the mix are Tapley and Nap Hand. The former, for trainer Suzy Smith, was a runner-up in a Kempton chase in October while Alan King’s Nap Hand was fourth at Kempton when returning after a break a month ago.
The action starts with the three-runner 12.55pm £150,000 Prizemoney on 4th May Novice Chase for the Prince Carlton Cup when trainer Lucy Wadham saddles Brother Boris. The gelding won the Tim Barclay Memorial Chase at the last Fakenham meeting and is likely to go off odds-on to strike again. Rivals are Yorgunnabeplucky and Uncle Al.
In the 2.14pm Hyde, Denny, Cunningham 70th Birthday Mares’ Chase, Queen Boudicca Final winner at Fakenham in January, Belle Montrose, returns to try to better her second spot last month for trainer Sam Drinkwater. But favourite will be Jamaicaine under Conor O’Farrell for Neil Mulholland. The grey mare has won her last three contests, all over hurdles, and makes her chasing debut.
Hello Sweety, from Edmunds’ yard, won at Fakenham in December and returns for the 3.34pm Racing TV Mares’ Handicap Hurdle. Four rivals will look to lower her colours, including Graecia for Charlie Longsden and grey filly Ghost Dancing, third in December at Ludlow for trainer Alan King.
Gary and Josh Moore have the favourite in Zarakerjack, a four-year-old colt, in the 1.35pm Robert Case Memorial Maiden Hurdle, although Mister Ursus and Always Stronger merit respect while in the 2.54pm Walter Wales Memorial Handicap Hurdle, Jack Andrews will ride brother-in-law Tom Ellis’s Secret Vino, who will be trying to follow up a Catterick success. Edmunds’ Blue Marvel is a rival while Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer has outsider Raby Mere in the line-up.
The closing 4.50pm Pointing Pointers Queen’s Cup Open Hunters’ Chase sees last year’s winner Janika return for a three-miler in which Go On Chez may prove the biggest rival.
