WEDGE FIRES AWAY WITH A FAKENHAM HAT-TRICK OF VICTORIES
Jockey Adam Wedge was the hat-trick hero at Fakenham when taking the £16,000 Tim Barclay Memorial Chase on the Laura Morgan trained Fire Away.
An easy winner at Musselburgh 12 days ago, the bottom weight used every pound to his advantage to get the better of Admiral Barratry, returned at 4/5.
“It was up for grabs at the last. Both horses picked up well and mine did enough,” said Wedge. “It’s nice to have a winner for Laura. I’ve known her a long time and her horses are in cracking form,” he added.
Fire Away beat Admiral Barratry, Bryony Frost’s only ride of the day, the winner of the King’s Lynn Chase at the last meeting, with Risk and Roll third.
Earlier Wedge had ridden Shang Tang to beat the Nicky Henderson trained Captain Morgs in the EBF Novice Hurdle. In-form trainer Emma Lavelle’s 15/8 chance was perfectly produced by Wedge to take it up before the last and ran out a comfortable five-length winner.
“He did nothing wrong last time at Doncaster but didn’t see out the three miles. The shorter distance suited today and he did it well,” said Wedge.
The jockey went on to complete a hat-trick, and a double for Morgan, when debutant Dom Perry won the finale, the bumper, over two miles, at 11/2.
There was no hiding place in the Sculthorpe Novice Chase which went to the 13/8 favourite Kap Auteuil under Tom Cannon for Toby Lawes.
The leaders went off at a fierce pace for the soft conditions and only three completed the two miles. Kap Auteuil, a recent Plumpton runner-up, won by 19 lengths from Khanisari and Cagliostro.
The Helhoughton Novice Hurdle went to the Seamus Mullins trained Moroder who saw off Winds of Fire in a contest that saw just three complete the trip.
Kevin Jones took it up on Moroder before the final bend and held on by two lengths to score at 4/1 for only the second career success for the gelding.
With a circuit to go in the two-mile Holt Selling Hurdle, Kingston Mimosa looked beaten. But jockey Charlie Todd persevered and cruised home on the bottom weight to win at 4/1 with outsider Top Beak second.
Dubai Quest’s William Bulwer Long Hunter Chase victory owed much to Bridget Andrews who managed to stay on board when the 5/4 favourite, trained by her brother-in-law Tom Ellis, made a serious mistake before the final circuit.
