Horses

Johnson gets Fakenham off to a flyer

Jockey Richard Johnson and trainer Tim Vaughan recorded a short-priced treble as Fakenham Racecourse, bathed in sunshine, staged its first National Hunt race meeting of the season yesterday.

Baily Storm initiated the treble in the Racing Welfare Novices' Hurdle (3.10). The 15-8 odds-on favourite, who finished second at Plumpton on Monday, made no mistake with an impressive hurdling display.

Despite close attention from Shut The Bar, Baily Storm ran out an easy five length winner.

Doctor Robert made it two wins for Johnson and Vaughan, when also scoring by five lengths in the Jim Welch Lifetime In Racing Handicap Hurdle. Johnson settled the gelding behind the front pairing of Sagarich and Laconicos and made his move around the home turn to run on well to be a cosy victor.

The treble was completed when odds-on favourite Chapel Flowers was a distance winner of the 1824 Handicap Chase (4.50). This gelding, making his debut for the trainer, took the lead down the back straight and ran away with race to record a comfortable winner.

“All three of the horses have done their jobs well this afternoon and will hopefully all improve and go on to score again,” said Johnson after racing.

The afternoon got underway with the Prince of Wales Stand Conditional Jockeys' Selling Handicap Hurdle, in which 25-1 shot Allperksonice sprang a surprise.

The Mark Gillard-trained mare, who had been unplaced from her all her five starts, led all the way to win by a length from Petroglyph. Allperksonice was ridden by young Peter Toole, who was recording his second win from two starts at Fakenham.

There was no bid in the subsequent auction for the winner.

The was no fairytale ending for course-specialist Cool Roxy in the Norfolk County Handicap Chase (2.35), as the 11-times Fakenham winner lost his regular pilot, Chris Honour, at the first open ditch.

The race was won by the Neil Mullholland-trained Winsley Hill. The seven -year-old mare was given a patient ride by Daryl Jacob, staying just off the pace before being produced after the final flight and running on well to win by head from Sprosser in a thrilling finish.

Honour said Cool Roxy was fine and would live to fight another day.

Top Irish jockey Barry Geraghty marked his first appearance at the North Norfolk track in impressive fashion when Busker Royal was a 29- length winner of the Northern Norfolk Novices' Chase (3.45). But it could have been a lot closer had Eleazar not fallen when challenging Busker Royal at the last.

There was another surprise in the last race of the day, the National Hunt Bumper (5.20), when Distant Florin put in a game performance on her debut to win by a head from Keep Talking at odds of 25-1.

The next meeting at Fakenham is on Tuesday, November 17 (1pm).