After losing its last meeting to frosty conditions, Fakenham Racecourse is all set to resume its season on February 2 with a competitive six-race fixture which gets underway at 1.40pm.
A total of 91 entries have been made for the meeting at which regular visiting trainers Olly Murphy, David Pipe, Nigel Twiston-Davies and Lucy Wadham are likely to be well represented.
Murphy has course and distance winner Secret Trix entered for the opener, the Little Snoring Conditional Jockeys’ Novice Handicap Hurdle over three miles. The gelding won at the course in November but may face Pipe’s Barrier Peaks, a recent Exeter winner, and Wadham’s Brandisova, a mare second on both of her recent outings at Catterick and Lingfield.
The 2.10pm Paddy Power Chase sees Murphy’s Mexican Boy amongst the entries with Sean Bowen already booked to ride the grey gelding, second at Southwell in November.
Also entered are Martin Keighley’s Ben Buie, a Leicester winner just after Christmas, and Warren Greatrex’s Line of Descent, a Catterick runner-up on the same day.
Biggest entry is 19 for the 2.40pm Coxford Mares’ Handicap Hurdle over three miles in which Twiston-Davies has Jasmiwa, the five-year-old a Ffos Las winner in December.
Ryan Potter will be hoping Shesupincourt can improve on three recent second-place finishes at Ffos Las twice and Bangor while Wymondham trainer Caroline Fryer has entered 10-year-old Ratoute Yutty, off the course since June, with Lewis Stones booked to ride.
The Racing TV Maiden Hurdle at 3.15pm sees Twiston-Davies having entered Sergeant Wilson, a Newcastle second in November while Gary Moore has Newbury third Teddy Blue also in the line-up. Most interesting entry is from Newmarket trainer John Ryan who has Pistoletto making a hurdles debut, having been eighth at Lingfield on the all-weather 12 days earlier.
Murphy will have a shout again in the 3.50pm novice chase with Auditoria, the mare fourth at Hereford in December although also among the 14 entries are Bolsover Bill, Greatrex’s gelding a recent Catterick second after wins at Ffos Las and Catterick twice, while Dr Richard Newland has entered Getabuck, third at Huntingdon on Boxing Day.
The closing 4.25pm handicap hurdle has 16 entries including Ben Case’s Bashers Reflection, a Warwick winner last time out, Murphy’s Boreen Boy, and Pipe’s Pachacuti, a Hereford runner-up a fortnight ago.
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