A competitive field of nine runners line-up for the £15,000 feature at Thursday's seven-race card at Fakenham.

Eastern Daily Press: Trainer Venetia Williams has Eceparti running at Fakenham Picture: PATrainer Venetia Williams has Eceparti running at Fakenham Picture: PA (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

The 2.35pm Horsemen's Group Handicap Chase is worth more than £8,000 to the winner and it is possible to make a case for all those declared.

Venetia Williams' horses are worth noting in soft conditions and she has Charlie Deutsch in the saddle on Eceparti, a six-year-old third at Chepstow just after Christmas, following November wins at Wetherby and Chepstow.

Cougar's Gold, under Sean Bowen for his dad, Welsh trainer Peter, was a runner-up at Uttoxeter in December while Thomas Todd, trained by Laura Morgan, is a previous Fakenham winner.

Jockey Jack Tudor recently hit the headlines with victory in the Welsh Grand National and he partners Richard Hobson's Eureu Du Boulay, a recent Fontwell winner.

The meeting starts with 12.25pm chase, with two last time winners looking to land the spoils in Fergal O'Brien's Blue Monday and Mark Gillard's Touch Screen.

The former scored at Hereford last month while Fergus Gillard rides Touch Screen, who dead-heated at Lingfield. Key rival is the Olly Murphy trained Robin De Broome, third at Southwell on his first run after a break.

The other chase, at 1.25pm, sees four novices with Newmarket trainer Lucy Wadham's Little Light, a Leicester winner on her first run following a wind operation, and Gary Moore's The Flying Sofa, now dropping in class, as the major players.

Conditional jockeys contest the handicap hurdle at 12.55pm when former course winner Stonebrigg Legend goes for trainer Sarah Humphrey, against seven opponents.

Another field of eight line up at 2pm for the maiden hurdle with Nicky Henderson running Grand Roi under Nico De Boinville. Seven mares tackle a two-mile hurdle at 3.10pm. Wadham has Tissier on Miss Heritage, a course and distance winner in December, while Leighton Aspell rides Nick Gifford's Mystic Dreamer, runner-up at Fontwell last time.

Always worth noting at Fakenham is trainer Stuart Edmunds who has Markada under Ciaran Gethings, a former Warwick winner.

The same partnership have Young Offender in the finale at 3.45pm, the gelding a Fakenham winner in December.