JOCKEY Freddie Gingell, one of the rising stars of National Hunt Racing, has several winning chances when Fakenham racecourse stages its six-race Aldiss Raceday on Easter Monday.
Gingell, the current champion conditional jockey, has notched 22 winners from 105 rides this season and has major chances in the first four races at Fakenham.
Two of his high hopes are on horses trained by regular Fakenham winner Lucy Wadham with Cotton Socks and Abbey Law while Painter Wolf and Sonigino are the young riders’ other mounts on a busy afternoon.
Gingell partners the Ben Case trained Painted Wolf in the opening 2.15pm Join Racing TV Novice Hurdle. The gelding was second at Fakenham’s last meeting so knows the course well. Favourite is likely to be Olly Murphy’s previous Southwell scorer Bitsnbuckles on whom Tom Hutsby claims 10 pounds, while Harry Skelton partners brother Dan’s Coolkatie, fourth last time at Exeter.
The Skeltons have favourite Tralee Girl in the 2.50pm Aldiss Juvenile Maiden Hurdle, the filly second in a listed contest at Newbury in the autumn, while Gingell rides Wadham’s Cotton Socks, third at Market Rasen last month.
The feature 3.25pm Aldiss Chasing Excellence Novice Chase worth £15,000, has just three runners, including Gingell’s mount, Sonigino for Paul Nicholls. The nine-year-old makes a chasing debut having been well beaten over hurdles at Musselburgh when last seen in February.
Kilaro, Jack Andrews for Tim Easterby, and Walking On Air, Kielan Woods riding for Faye Bramley, are the rivals, Kilaro also making a chasing debut.
Gingell and Wadham have former Fakenham winner Abbey Law in the 4pm Cecil and Sheila Buttifant Memorial Mares’ Hurdle although likely favourite will be Andrews and trainer Tom Ellis’s Four Decades.
Wadham has the market leader for the 4.35pm Watch on Racing TV Chase in Brother Boris, trying to make it a Fakenham hat-trick after winning in Norfolk at the course’s last two meetings. Cian Murphy takes the ride in a five-runner contest which includes Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer’s former Fakenham winner Cloudy Wednesday and two from Tom Gretton’s yard, one of them Reforme, another former winner at the track.
The closing Every Race Live on Racing TV Mares’ Bumper sees three debutants, although those with experience top the market with Jamie Snowden’s L’Amandine likely favourite following a third-placed effort at Ludlow in January.
While the opening contest starts at 2.15pm there is action beginning at 1pm with the first of two Shetland pony races over two furlongs.
Content provided by Terry Redhead
