16:50 Fakenham

Friday 14 February 2020

All13:4014:1014:4515:2015:5016:2016:50

Fakenham Maiden Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 16:55 | Winning time: 4m 1.90s

African Dance

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Fergus Gregory⁽³⁾| T: O Murphy

10/3

€50,000 Monsun gelding half-brother to three winners including the decent Encore Champs. Yard operating at 36% winning strike-rate of late do well in this sphere so has to be a contender.

Form:

Fantastikas³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies

3/1

Gelded son of Davidoff cost €38,000 and is full brother to fair 3m chaser Quarenta. May find this test sharp enough on debut unless market suggests otherwise. Hails from yard ticking over steadily of late.

Form: 27

Scarpia⁴⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

2/1

Sans Frontieres gelding out of dam who won at up to 3m1f. Plenty of stamina in pedigree but ran well on bumper debut when second of 14 at Warwick on New Year's Eve. Will have learned plenty and top yard in flying form (10-28) in recent weeks.

Form: 2

Catmygirl

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: G Sheehan| T: M Wigham

16/1

Very well bred Kayf Tara mare whose dam was half-sister to the great Best Mate. Three siblings haven't shown much to write home about though will probably find this a tough baptism on racecourse bow.

Form:

Enchant Me

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Callum McKinnes⁽⁷⁾| T: O Murphy

25/1

One of three stable represntatives in this event. Great Pretender mare whose dam is an unraced half-sister to useful Dover's Hill. Appears second or third string on jockey bookings so a debut win would surprise.

Form:

Fivetotwelve

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Lewis Stones⁽⁷⁾| T: O Murphy

20/1

Midnight Legend mare out of winning bumper/hurdler mare. Third of stable's runners in this contest. May be better for the experience unless market speaks in her favour.

Form:

Flibinight

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: L P Aspell| T: N J Gifford

14/1

Getaway mare with plenty of stamina on dam's side. Could find 2m on this tight track sharp enough on debut and others make rather more appeal.

Form:

Martello Sky

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: E J Walsh| T: L Wadham

4/1

Yard has 21% winners here in bumpers and this Martaline filly is closely related to a couple of fair winning hurdlers at up to 2m4f. No surprise to see her go well on debut and is no forlorn hope in receipt of weight form all her rivals.

Form:

Non-Runners

Orbit Of Iolite²⁵

Weight: 10-8| Age: 4

T: S A Harris J: Charlie Deutsch

Forecasts

Scarpia (2/1), Fantastikas (3/1), African Dance (10/3), Martello Sky (4/1), Flibinight (14/1), Catmygirl (16/1), Fivetotwelve (20/1), Enchant Me (25/1), Orbit Of Iolite (33/1)

With the experience of his fine second on debut at Warwick to draw on, SCARPIA looks booked to go one better this time. Martello Sky is an interesting recruit and comes from a fair family, so with her yard doing well here in these races she has to be respected. African Dance looks the clear pick of her trainer's three runners and is bred to win races, while it's always worth monitoring the market in these events and such as Fantasikas and Catmygirl may attract some support.