It’s good to know that horses running at Fakenham will handle the tight track and for this afternoon’s feature race (Monday, March 4) three of the six runners return having previously won in north Norfolk.
The £17,000 Fakenham Skips Handicap Hurdle at 3.10pm is the highlight of a six-race card and favourite will be the Christian Williams trained Uno Mas.
A five-year-old gelding, Uno Mas, ridden by James Bowen, won at Warwick a week after scoring at Fakenham over today’s course and distance. He had also scored at Catterick in January.
Kilbrew Boy, a six-year-old under Kielan Woods for Ben Case, won at Fakenham in December over a shorter trip while Canyon City, trained by Neil King and partnered by Bryony Frost, was an October Fakenham winner.
While that trio have chances, beware of James Eustace’s Wind Place and Sho. The gelding refused to start at Huntingdon recently having previously finished runner-up at Fakenham.
Trainer Williams, from Bridgend in Glamorgan, has been making successful raids at recent Fakenham meetings and he has a chance in the 2.40pm three-mile chase with Conas Taoi under Paddy Brennan. The horse was a Carlisle winner in February and has a stable mate running, Fifty Shades, a grey gelding who was a recent Catterick runner-up.
Williams has two of the seven runners as does Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer who has Frost on previous Fakenham scorer Midnight Bliss and Fergus Gregory aboard veteran Riddlestown.
The Shereford Chase at 4.15pm sees Sara Humphrey turn out seven-year-old mare Stonebrigg Legend under Charlie Deutsch who looks to have Alex Dunn’s Truckers Tangle, a Ludlow second, as her main rival.
Top trainer Nicky Henderson has sent two for the 4.50pm finale, the novice hurdle, with Nico de Boinville on Raising the Bar, fourth in a higher grade at Sandown, his first run since a wind operation. Henderson also runs Lyndsays Lad under Jeremiah McGrath.
Trainer Olly Murphy could get off to a winning start with Swaffham Bulbeck in the opening 2.10pm maiden hurdle under Aidan Coleman. The gelding was second over course and distance on New Year’s Day. Zanzi Win under Gavin Sheehan for Harry Whittington looks the danger.
The 3.45pm handicap hurdle looks open and could go to Tom Scudamore aboard Neil Mulholland’s Molliana, recently fourth at Plumpton.
__________________________________________
Selections: 2.10pm Zanzi Win, 2.40pm Conas Taoi, 3.10pm Uno Mas, 3.45pm Molliana, 4.15pm Truckers Tangle, 4.50pm Raising the Bar.
