Fakenham Racecourse Annual Members Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 4m 23.8s

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Selected odds by:

Blue Sire⁵⁷⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: C Gethings⁽³⁾| T: N J Hawke

20/1

Made some improvement without looking anything special for Gary Moore in 2016 but not since unseating in a Fontwell novices' hurdle 19-months ago. Stable in good form, so market check suggested, but may need this after that lay-off.

Form: 9/6U-

Dunkereen^t²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: C Poste| T: O Murphy

20/1

Beaten favourite on bumper debut at Ayr in October (soft) and beaten even further in tongue-strap at Sedgefield last month. Dam's sister won a 2m hurdle, so some hope in pedigree that he may improve for this switch and he will need to.

Form: 43

Fresh New Dawn³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Ian Popham| T: O Murphy

13/8

Showed promise on debut in a Sedgefield bumper in October and bettered that on hurdles debut (3m, heavy) at Ffos Las last time. Raced a little keenly in hood there. Headgear now discarded and drop in trip in these conditions could pay dividends.

Form: 223

Isis Blue²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr James King⁽⁵⁾| T: N P Mulholland

9/2

Scored three times on Flat at up to 1m2f for Rod Millman (rated 65). Ran with promise on stable/hurdles debut at Plumpton (2m, good to soft) last time. Dam handled soft on the Flat, but otherwise conditions this testing are very much an unknown.

Form: 4

No Alarm^t¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: David England| T: O Murphy

20/1

Pulled up in both Irish point-to-points and tailed off (beaten 52L) in a similar race to this here over 2m4f (soft) when a 50-1 chance on hurdles debut last month. Drop in trip does not look ideal and stable looks to have better options in this.

Form: PP-5

Rajapur^p²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Tony Kelly| T: D Thompson

12/1

Couldn't win for Phil Kirby on the Flat/sole hurdle run so far, but scored on debut for this yard (1m6f, soft) in November from a mark of just 45. If he can build on that Hexham hurdle outing (when a neck second) from 2016 then he is not ruled out.

Form: 2-

The Linksman¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Jonathan England| T: S England| OR: 115

15/8

Quirky sort who won a bumper for Brian Ellison but has run out twice since, one of them last month at Doncaster. Stayed on for second (beaten 11L) on heavy at Bangor last time and has the ability to win this if he behaves himself.

Form: R-478R2

Forecasts

Fresh New Dawn (13/8), The Linksman (15/8), Isis Blue (9/2), Rajapur (12/1), No Alarm (20/1), Dunkereen (20/1), Blue Sire (20/1)

The biggest field of the day to bring the curtain down on the card and the suggestion on New Year's Day perhaps FRESH NEW DAWN can emerge an apt winner. One of a trio in the field trained by Olly Murphy he ran well on heavy ground at Ffos Las last time out and although this is a sizeable drop in trip, he travelled well enough once he finally settled to suggest that he can cope with it and in that respect conditions will also help. The Linksman is likely to be a danger as we know that he handles heavy ground and he looks to have some ability, though he clearly carries risks. Rajapur is interesting along with Isis Blue who is very much his superior on the Flat, but who has it to prove on deep ground. Keep an eye on the market too, in case any of the others are about to do significantly better.