ROCK ROLLS OVER THE FAVOURITE TO SPOIL THE PRE-CHRISTMAS PARTY
Ede’iffs Rock ruined Fakenham Racing Club’s pre-Christmas party by winning the £50,000 Queen Boudicca Series Qualifier Mares’ Chase at the north Norfolk course.
The club’s Kosasiempre was last of the five for most of the contest but surged through to challenge Ede’iffs Rock in the final straight only to be beaten by a short head by the 7/1 shot.
Even then there was hope for odds-on favourite Kosasiempre when a stewards’ enquiry was announced but after a short hearing the placings remained unaltered.
Veteran trainer Bill Turner was delighted with his mare, ridden by Harry Kimber. She had fallen on chase debut at Plumpton but jumped well around Fakenham.
“I trained her mother to win as a two-year-old on the flat and then to two wins over hurdles and 11 wins in chases. She’s a real trier,” said the trainer based in Sherborne in Dorset.
Champion jockey Harry Cobden had one ride at the meeting and made that a winning one when the Paul Nicholls trained Go West easily took the Sky Bet Maiden Hurdle.
There was some pressure from hurdles debutant and favourite Miss Cynthia but the filly was unable to land a blow in the finishing straight.
Lucy Wadham’s grey gelding Samourai One battled for a pleasing success in the Sky Bet Stayers’ Chase at 5/2 under Tom Cannon. Stamina was demanded in the near four-mile 22-fence contest and the seven-year-old squeezed home after a photo finish from Fern Hill to earn her trainer her 69th winner at the course. At the previous Fakenham meeting, Samourai One was runner-up to Lunar Contact who later in the afternoon disappointed in the Female Jockeys’ Chase.
Brave Jen followed up a November success at Sedgefield in the Sky Bet Mares’ Hurdle under Jack Andrews for trainer Tom Ellis. The 6/5 favourite led from the start and held on to score by a neck in a blanket finish from Ironed Out and Uokhun.
James Owen regularly has Fakenham winners and the Newmarket trainer took the opening Sky Hurdle with 7/2 chance Star Legend under Alex Chadwick.
Hardy Buck cut out the running but was outjumped at the final flight by Star Legend who scored by two lengths for a first win since scoring at Fakenham in November 2023.
The Sky Bet For The Fans Hurdle provided a runaway win for 8/11 favourite Zhang Fei ridden by Fern O’Brien for her father, trainer Fergal O’Brien.
The closing Sky Bet Female Jockeys’ Chase proved a pillar to post success for Frere D’Armes under Heidi Palin for Dan Skelton. The 8/1 top weight jumped well and despite tiring in the closing stages won comfortably from Scene One and Bashers Reflection.
