LONG TRIP WORTHWHILE AS AL ROCKS UP WITH JARROLD LADIES DAY VICTORY
Al Roc made the 520-mile round trip from David Pipe’s Somerset stable worthwhile on Sunday when landing the £20,000 Jarrold Handicap Chase on Ladies Day at Fakenham, the course’s final meeting of the 2021/22 season.
The 11-year-old gelding was given a fine ride by Philip Armson, recording his second big win in north Norfolk this year.
“I love coming here. I had to bump him along a little going out for the last circuit but he’s won well,” said Armson, after Al Roc, helped by the fall of challenger Topofthecotswolds, was returned at 3/1.
Gavin Sheehan produced an outstanding ride to win on the Jamie Snowden trained Arbennig in the Jarrold Novices’ Chase. He set off in front and despite a bad blunder in front of the stands, Sheehan sat tight and went on to score at 2/1 from fast-finishing Getaway Jewel.
“Put it this way, I think I had to work a lot harder than he did!” said Sheehan.
Miami Present took The Queen’s Dragoon Guards Prince of Wales Cup under Harry Bannister for trainer Harriet Bethell.
The 12-year-old won in October 2017, had wind surgery after finishing second at Huntingdon in 2021 before returning this year at Hexham where he pulled up.
He clearly relished three miles around Fakenham and scored from Orchestrated at 6/1.
Within half an hour Bannister completed a double, producing a well-timed run on the Julian Smith trained Fine By Her to take the Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Post No Bills looked a likely winner when he got the better of Milanese Rose, but Bannister drove Fine By Her home to win at 11/2.
Trainer Dr Richard Newland and stable jockey Charlie Hammond have made Fakenham a happy hunting ground and they scored when Jubilee Gold landed the Caravan and Camping Site Maiden Hurdle.
The gelding was third in a novice at Cork before joining Newland’s stables and showed improvement to win from fellow 2/1 joint favourite Pure Bubbles.
There was plenty of drama in the Female Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle which went to northern raider Guidedbythescience under Becky Smith for trainer Gillian Boanas, her first Fakenham runner.
Methag almost fell in the home straight before Rebel Royal crashed out. Guidedbythescience then took it up to score at 4/1.
The three-runner Handicap Hurdle finale gave Tom Scudamore a happy 40th birthday thanks to victory for Glimpse of Gold trained by Sarah Humphrey. It was the gelding’s fifth Fakenham win in 11 runs at the course and proved a fitting finale to the season.
