FROST HOPING FOR A WARM RECEPTION FOR HIS DEVON FIREFLY
Jockey Briony Frost is a successful and regular visitor to Fakenham racecourse. But while she is currently riding in France, it is her father Jimmy who has the Norfolk track in his sights for the Residents’ Raceday meeting on Tuesday (November 19).
Trainer Jimmy has been involved in the National Hunt game for more than 40 years in the west country and the initial entries for Tuesday’s six-race Fakenham card show he has two horses set to make the 650-mile round trip from his stables in Buckfastleigh in Devon.
Best known as the winning jockey on Little Polveir in the 1989 Grand National, and on Morley Street in winning the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle in 1991, Frost will be particularly keen on Firefly Lane in the feature, the closing 3.40pm Weatherbys and Birdie Calendars Conditional Jockeys’ Chase over three miles.
Firefly Lane, with Ellis Collier booked to ride, is an eight-year-old mare who won her first chase, at the sixth attempt, when scoring at Newton Abbot in September. She had finished runner-up in chases at Wincanton and Taunton in April and May.
There are 13 entries for the contest including another last time out winner, Lunar Contact. Trained by Tom Ellis, with Callum Pritchard taking the mount, the six-year-old gelding could return to the course where he won at the last meeting on October 30.
Lunar Contact has also been entered for the 1.25pm £130,000 Prize Money @Fakenham January 1st Novice Hurdle, a contest which has attracted 13 entries including Laser Focus, a Huntingdon winner this week for trainer James Owen, and Magical Arthur, Jennie Candish’s gelding a Kempton scorer, also earlier this week.
The opening 12.55pm Weatherbys Hamilton Hurdle looks a terrific contest if the 10 entries stand their ground. Stuart Edmunds’ Bluegrass, Owen’s Forget The Way under champion jockey Harry Cobden, Candish’s hat-trick seeking Fromheretoeternity, Gary and Josh Moore’s Sanitiser and Olly Murphy’s Vocito will all have their supporters.
First chase on the card, the 1.55pm £50,000 Queen Boudicca Series Qualifier Mares’ Chase sees Frost’s other traveller, Caitlin’s Court entered, along with Neil King’s Cluain Aodha, third on chase debut at Uttoxeter and Alex Hales’ Our Bill’s Aunt, third on chase debut at Huntingdon.
Six debutants are among seven entries for the 2.30pm EBF Fillies Juvenile Hurdle while the 3.05pm Anglia Car Auctions Maiden Hurdle could feature Tim Vaughan’s Kalium, second on hurdling debut at Ludlow, Owen’s L’Astronome, third on hurdling debut at Newbury, and Candish’s Broderick, third on hurdling debut at Sedgefield.
