TITLE-CHASING BOWEN LOOKING GOOD FOR MORE FAKENHAM WINNERS
Sean Bowen, well clear in the race for the jump jockey championship, has three top chances of adding to his tally at Fakenham’s Resident Raceday tomorrow (Wednesday, November 1).
The 26-year-old Welshman is fast approaching 100 winners for the campaign (92 by the weekend), more than 30 ahead of reigning champ Brian Hughes.
Supporters of Bowen may have to wait until late in the day though, as his best chances are in the final two contests on the six-race card, eagerly awaited after the course’s scheduled 2023/24 seasonal opener a fortnight ago fell victim to heavy rain.
Five go in the day’s feature, the 3.45pm Great Ryburgh Novice Chase with Bowen on trainer Olly Murphy’s En Avant. The seven-year-old gelding was eighth of 16 at Worcester last time in a class two hurdles race but had previously won at Fontwell and Worcester.
Likely favourite is the Gary Moore trained Aviles, set for his chase debut. In four starts over hurdles, the gelding has been second every time, latterly at Plumpton in April. The JP McManus owned Gitche Gumee for Alan King is well fancied on his chasing debut with Magistrato, one with chasing experience, and top weight Llandinabo Lad, completing the line-up.
Bowen rides for James Owen in the closing 4.15pm Colkirk Hurdle, on recent Southwell third Polyphonic. Bryony Frost rides likely favourite Pretending for Lucy Wadham, the grey filly a Cheltenham runner-up in April while Jubilee Gold, State of Bliss and Sergeant Wilson are previous winners around Fakenham.
Bowen’s other ride is for Murphy in the opening 1.40pm Sculthorpe Maiden Hurdle in which he partners Borodale, fifth on hurdling debut at Uttoxeter. Favourites will be Roger Pol for Gavin Sheehan and trainer Jamie Snowden, a recent Newton Abbot second, and Call the Dance for Nicky Henderson, the mare making her hurdling debut after winning on the flat at Southwell in April.
In the 2.15pm RBL Poppy Appeal Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle, Grain of Hope will be all the rage for trainer Emma Lavelle when the filly meets up again with two fillies from Stuart Edmunds’ stable, Majestic Jameela and Limelight, both of whom finished behind her at Ludlow a fortnight ago.
Frost and Wadham look a formidable team in the 2.45pm Wells Chase, the mare a two-times previous Fakenham winner although Regarde may well go off market leader for Sheehan and Snowden following his chase debut victory at Huntingdon in October.
Biggest field of the day sees a dozen in the 3.15pm Burnham Market Mares’ Hurdle headed by Harry Fry’s recent Market Rasen third Our Nel under Ben Bromley, who claims a handy five pounds.
