REPORT OF THE WEST & NORTH NORFOLK MEETING HELD AT FAKENHAM RACECOURSE ON SUNDAY MARCH 23rd

By Mike Ashby

There was a warm and vociferous, local Norfolk welcome around the winners’ enclosure as owner Simon Stearn and his son Rupert, the jockey, enjoyed two successes at the West and North Norfolk meeting at Fakenham.

The Stearns from Wymondham have been part of the East Anglian point-to-point scene for many a decade. Simon rode several winners during his riding career and Rupert now in his 40’s, with this double, has amassed 120 point-to-point winners since his initial success on Imperial Mist at High Easter in April 2002, at the age of  nineteen.

The Stearn combination in past seasons, have always trained their own horses but with their current farming commitments have passed the training responsibilities to selected stables. The Big Lense, is with Newmarket-based trainer Jenny Owen, and took on four other rivals, winners of over 40 races, in a high-class Mixed Open contest. The veteran Caryto Des Brosses, brought out of intended retirement, was able to set his own pace and led for over two circuits. The previously unbeaten Aramax was produced by Alex Chadwick to challenge two fences out but Stearn and The Big Lense powerfully swept past both of these rivals to lead jumping the last and won easing down.

THE BIG LENSE and RUPERT STEARN

In the Veteran Horse  Conditions contest, No Risk Des Flos, trained by Gina Andrews near Rugby, finished alone in the Stearn’s colours having seen off his two rivals, who both pulled up, with his front-running tactics. Stearn had only schooled the ex-Olly Murphy grey on one occasion but the outcome was never in doubt from flag fall.

NO RISK DES FLOS and RUPERT STEARN

Andrews herself completed a training double when steering home the impressive Cheytac, in the Restricted race having taken command of the race two fences out, after the front-running Shanes Passion’s effort had petered out and finished 8 lengths ahead of the only other finisher, Graveside Lad. Cheytac was Gina’s 20th winner of the season to retain her commanding lead over her colleagues.

CHEYTAC and GINA ANDREWS (right)

The favourite, Coolagh Park and Izzie Hill were comfortable winners of the PPORA Club Members’ Conditions race, putting Izzie on 12 for the season and as always she will not let Gina rest on her laurels in her pursuit of  retaining the national championship title. Coolagh Park is a talented, powerful horse but has been injury prone throughout his career. This was only his eighth outing since his debut winning performance at Horseheath in December 2021. Despite one error, when he stepped at a fence, he was not pushed whilst recovering any lost ground and with a great jump at the last, won like a favourite should, holding Good Source by 2¾ lengths.

COOLAGH PARK and IZZIE HILL (right)

Photo RAY NEWBY

Owner/trainer Nick Wright secured a first and last race winning double. Red Maple gave jockey Cian Murphy his third consecutive success in the opening Novice/ Veteran riders race. Having won on Prairie Town in 2023 and followed up last season on Ed Turner’s Take To Heart it was no surprise the combination were sent off the 6/4 favourites, especially as the pairing had already achieved a previous victory together at Ampton in January 2024. Murphy now has 9 wins from 23 rides giving him a 39% strike rate and his decision on turning conditional could be weight-dependant but that will be decided later in the year with further discussions with his employer, Paul Nicholls.

RED MAPLE and CIAN MURPHY

Steppingstone and Alex Chadwick completed Wright’s two victories in the concluding Maiden contest. Nick with son Archie seem to have a good eye for selecting and bringing on purchases from Ireland and Steppingstone was acquired as a result of an on-line auction. This ex-Willie Mullins 7-y-o had four runs in bumpers in Ireland being placed in two of them and made his GB debut for the Wrights at Garthorpe last month but after making the running there, weakened and was eventually pulled up. Here Nigel Padfield’s Validation ridden by Gina Andrews were made odds-on favourites to follow up their runner-up performance behind the useful Hopping Mad Wife at High Easter. The pairing forced the early pace with some quick jumping if not getting very high at the fences and three of the four runners were vying for the lead at the final open ditch. Approaching two fences from home Steppingstone and Alex Chadwick had secured the lead from Validation with Easy Rider back in 3rd place and this is how the placings finished with Chadwick pushing out the winner to win by a commanding 10 lengths.

STEPPINGSTONE and ALEX CHADWICK

There was deserving praise from owners, trainers and jockeys, for Clerk of the Course Matthew King, who produced the course in admirable condition which resulted in 70% of the individual horses entered, being declared to run. Connections totally rely on detailed, correct information which King provided throughout the week on the lead up to the meeting and this latest, up to date information would have contributed to the excellent number of declared runners, on the day.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAHAM BISHOP PHOTOGRAPHY

WWW.gdbphotography.co.uk