CAROLINE’S CLOUDY WEDNESDAY REPEATS HIS EASTER MONDAY HEROICS
“We needed that,” said Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer after her gelding Cloudy Wednesday won the Aldiss Handicap Chase at Fakenham on Easter Monday.
“We love a local winner,” declared racecourse chief executive David Hunter, after Fryer’s nine-year-old gelding, sent off 9/4 favourite, cut out the running under Lewis Stones and held on to repeat his success in the same race last year and record his third victory in total at the course.
“I think the ground was a little too soft for him at Southwell last week but today makes up for that,” said Fryer.
In-form rider Gavin Sheehan was delighted to partner Doc McCoy to win the feature Aldiss Confined Handicap Hurdle at Fakenham on Easter Monday.
Sheehan, whose three winners at Huntingdon on Saturday completed his century for the season, scored on the seven-year-old gelding for trainer Jamie Snowden.
“He didn’t like going over fences on his last few starts. The switch back to hurdles made all the difference although he did balloon the last,” said Sheehan.
Always up with the pace, Doc McCoy withstood a challenge from favourite Diamond Koda who was second for the eighth time in his 11-race career.
Jonathan Burke was in flying form with a double. Only two of the six contesting the Fairfax and Favor Juvenile Maiden Hurdle got into the race. Frontrunning Zenato tried to make all under Burke for trainer Fergal O’Brien but before the final flight, odds-on favourite Dambuster went into the lead.
However, it was Zenato who jumped the better and regained the initiative to score by less than a length, at 100/30. It was Burke’s 78th winner of the season which ends on Saturday at Sandown.
Burke then made it 79 on even money favourite Auntie Maggie who gave a terrific frontrunning performance to land the Cecil and Sheila Buttifant Memorial Mares’ Hurdle.
Trained by Alastair Ralph, the six-year-old recorded a first win in seven career contests, beating last time out winner Milajess by six lengths.
The opening Bruce Towers and Sons Mechanical Engineers Chase saw the two runners go off as 10/11 joint favourites and the contest itself proved close with Stormin Crossgales beating Champagnesuperover.
Ridden by Robbie Dunne, the Charles and Adam Pogson trained eight-year-old made the most of a weight advantage and despite looking a little keen, he held sway to score by a length.
The closing Fisher Electrical Contractors Mares’ Maiden NH Flat Race went to Dan Skelton’s Claim Du Brizais returned at 11/4 under Kielan Woods whose closing speed proved too much for debutant Last Note.
