Freddie Gingell rode the winners of the first three races at Fakenham’s six-contest Aldiss Easter Monday race day.
The reigning champion conditional jockey was in unstoppable form, taking the opening three contests on Painted Wolf, Cotton Socks and Sonigino, to record a stunning Bank Holiday hat-trick and take his seasonal winners’ tally to 27.
“It’s been well worth the trip here,” said Gingell, after dismounting from his third winner, Sonigino, making his chasing debut.
That win, for trainer Paul Nicholls, in the feature Watch on Racing TV Chasing Excellence Novice Chase, was never in doubt, the 8/13 favourite ahead from start to finish.
“It was very straightforward. He jumped the last well and there was loads left in the tank. He can go on from here,” said Gingell.
Cotton Socks pulled the wool over the eyes of odds-on favourite Tralee Girl to take the £10,000 Aldiss Juvenile Maiden Hurdle for trainer Lucy Wadham.
Harry Skelton raced into the lead on the 1/4 hotpot but after being stirred up by Gingell down the back straight, Cotton Socks, at 4/1, responded spectacularly to overtake Tralee Girl and land the honours by two lengths.
Earlier Painted Wolf, second at Fakenham less than a month ago, had made every yard to score in the opening Join Racing TV Now Handicap Hurdle.
Bitsnbuckles crashed out at the flight of hurdles in front of the stands but that failed to deter the Ben Case trained winner, ridden to maximum effect by Gingell.
The last flight had to be omitted due to that earlier incident, but 7/2 joint favourite Painted Wolf held on throughout the lengthy run to the line to beat Livano Bello by two lengths.
Former Fakenham winner Annie Nail returned to win again for trainer Tracey Leeson when taking the Cecil and Sheila Buttifant Memorial Mares’ Hurdle at 5/2 under Oscar Palmer.
Outsider Callmesusie led her four rivals throughout, but Palmer delivered Annie Nail four-wide around the final bend and she stayed on stoutly to claim the prize.
The Aldiss Handicap Chase featured four runners with the outsider of the quartet, Another Mystery, the only finisher. One by one his three rivals, including Fakenham hat-trick win seeker Brother Boris and Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer’s Cloudy Wednesday, pulled up, leaving Tabitha Worsley to triumph on the Sarah Humphrey trained 5/1 chance.
The closing Every Race Live on Racing TV Mares’ Flat Race went to 2/1 chance L’Amandine, who had been third on debut, who responded to a powerful ride by James Davies to pass Hidden Fortune to record another success for trainer Jamie Snowden.
Content provided by Terry Redhead
