PINCHIN AND FROST MAKE IT A REAL LADIES’ DAY AT FAKENHAM
Star Legend proved a cut above the rest and helped jockey Lilly Pinchin make it ladies’ day at Fakenham’s race meeting on Monday.
Trained by James Owen, Star Legend, at 11/4, was pushed from fourth place to the front by Pinchin and marched on for a super success in the Gatsby’s Fakenham Winner At England Business Awards Maiden Hurdle.
The prize was presented by Carol McCubbin, owner of Gatsby’s Barbers in Fakenham, recent winners at those business awards.
For Pinchin and Owen it completed a double on the day and Owen became the fifth winner since the launch of the Fakenham Double Up Bonus Scheme which sees any trainer completing a double receive a £1,000 bonus along with a similar award to the winning owners of each horse.
He really liked it going the other way round to when last out at Huntingdon,” said Pinchin.
The first half of the double came in the opening Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle when 3/1 chance Royal Athena turned the tables on odds-on favourite Grain of Hope, who had beaten Royal Athena when they met at Ludlow in October.
Bryony Frost, the darling of the Fakenham crowd, landed the Sky Bet Build A Bet Chase on the Lucy Wadham trained Scene One.
The gelding, 6/4 favourite, had won last time at Warwick over hurdles but on chase debut was too good for his five rivals to score by three lengths.
“He’s a super horse and the hard work has been done at home. Lucy has been patient with him. He is a big-framed horse and there should be more to come. He winged his fences and was very good,” said Frost.
Jockey Gavin Sheehan continued his good run of form when taking the Win 50k With ITV7 Mares’ Hurdle on the Barry Brennan trained Crem Fresh who made every yard of the two-and-a-half-miles trip, returned at 6/1, beating Mistral Nel and Eliza Doolittle.
Ellis Collier recorded his first success for a year when getting Jony Max home at 16/1 for trainer Christian Williams in the Sky Bet Chase.
“I’ve been second on him here so it’s good to get a winner,” said Collier, recording his 10th success, seeing his future claim reduced from 7lbs to 5lbs.
Good Times Ahead pulled off a surprise win in the Save Our Sport Sign The Petition Handicap Hurdle for trainer Suzi Best and jockey Harry Reed. Returned at 22/1, the winner never looking like being overhauled by runner-up and favourite, Sailed Away.
The closing bumper went to Ami Bondhu, who defeated his seven rivals by 12 lengths, to score at 10/3 under James Davies for trainer Nick Gifford.
