Jockey Harry Bannister was overjoyed when Cody Wyoming grabbed the feature race, the Injured Jockeys’ Fund Chase, at Fakenham on Monday.
Bannister, with the 9/2 chance his only ride of the day, had to give the 11-year-old a reminder with a circuit to go, but Cody Wyoming responded superbly.
Trained by Charlie Mann, Cody Wyoming held off Foundation Man in a race in which only four of the seven starters completed the course.
“We decided to hold him up and hoped he would enjoy passing a few horses late on. He jumped well but put in a short one in front of the stands. I thought he might be getting a bit disinterested so I gave him a reminder and he’s really flown home from there,” said Bannister.
The opener went to trainer Neil King with the game gelding Mamoo, returned the 11/2, the winner of the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
Trevor Whelan led all the way on Mamoo who kept finding more to hold off Astrum and favourite Mullaghboy, who had scored at the previous Fakenham meeting.
Odds-on 5/6 favourite Classic Ben, under Ciaran Gethings for trainer Stuart Edmunds, won the West Street North Creake hurdle despite Ballinslea Bridge always looking to have more speed. However, champion jockey Richard Johnson’s mount jumped out to his right and gave away too much ground. That ruined his chance and Classic Ben held on to land the prize.
However, Johnson did get home in the Simon Bell Memorial Hurdle when 4/11 favourite Saucysioux completed a hat-trick with a comfortable 14-length success.
Trainer Olly Murphy’s mare won at Fakenham a fortnight ago, followed up at Ludlow last week and always travelled best of the five runners in completing her three-timer.
It was Murphy’s 26th winner of the season. “I have to keep pinching myself; it’s all going well at the moment,” he said.
He didn’t have to wait long for number 27 when Johnson completed a double for the trainer when favourite Oxford Blu, making his hurdling debut, won from Staff College, returned at 9/4.
Earlier, closest finish of the day resulted in 11/2 chance Bajardo getting home by a neck under James Banks for trainer Emma-Jane Bishop to beat Yourholidayisover in the two-mile chase. Yourholidayisover led at the final fence but Banks conjured a desperate last effort from the top weight to score.
Words by Terry Redhead
NEXT MEETING: CHRISTMAS MEETING Tuesday, 19th December 2017
FIRST RACE TIME: 12.40PM
LAST RACE TIME: 3.10PM
GATES OPEN: 11.00AM
