Leading trainers Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Colin Tizzard and Alan King are among those with runners in an initial entry of 105 horses for Fakenham’s Valentines Day meeting on Friday (February 14).
Feature is the 3.20pm Tim Barclay Memorial Chase in which King and Nicholls fancy their chances with Senior Citizen and Saintemillion respectively.
Senior Citizen was runner-up on chase debut at Doncaster while Nicholls’ gelding was fourth at Wincanton in January.
Entries for the £16,000 contest also include Richard Spencer’s Its’afreebee, fourth at the course in December, and Stuart Coltherd’s Pookie Pekan who may raid from Scotland after a Carlisle victory in November.
The 2.10pm Valentines Day Chase has only seven entries but includes two from Nicholls’ stable in Greaneteen, bidding for a hat-trick after wins at Musselburgh and Ascot, and Grand Sancy, fourth in the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown less than a fortnight ago.
The Flying Sofa, from Gary Moore’s yard, and Pam Sly’s Eskendash, were first and second at the last Fakenham meeting while Henderson has entered Champagne Mystery, a Haydock runner-up after an Aintree success in November.
Three entries bid to complete a hat-trick of wins if they go in the 2.45pm novice hurdle. Tizzard has Beaufort West, a Fontwell and Chepstow winner, Nicholls has Cat Tiger, twice a Plumpton scorer, and Henderson has Fix Sun, a Market Rasen and Sedgefeld winner.
Henderson has three in the 4.50pm flat race finale, with Scarpia, a debut winner at Warwick, Surf Walk, a runner-up on debut at Lingfield, and Sheila Nash, second last time at Ludlow.
Olly Murphy’s stable is in cracking form and has Dundrum Wood in the 3.50pm novice hurdle, the gelding a Market Rasen winner in November. Among the challengers could be Archie Watson’s Premier D’troice, having the first run since joining the stable from Ireland where he was a Punchestown winner, and Evan Williams’ Supreme Escape, a recent Doncaster winner.
There are familiar names entered for the William Bulwer Long Memorial Hunter Chase at 4.20pm., including Little Windmill, Mercers Court, Midnight Cowboy, Shantou Flyer, Sir Jack Yeats and Southfield Theatre.
The day opens with the 1.40pm selling hurdle in which Moore has Britania Bello, recently third at Fontwell.
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