Fakenham, Monday 13 April 2026 — Tips & Selections

Fakenham, Monday 13 April 2026 — Tips & Selections

A quiet Monday card at Fakenham, but quiet cards often throw up the clearest angles. Good ground suits pace-positive horses around this tight, flat track, and with three competitive races to unpick, there is genuine interest for those willing to look beyond the market leaders. Grand National fever is still fresh, so the casual punter will be distracted. That tends to sharpen value at smaller meetings like this one.

2:40 — Racing TV Handicap Hurdle (2m7½f)

Selection: Tropical Speed Each-Way at 5/1 with William Hill

This is an eight-runner handicap hurdle and the key angle here is simple: Tropical Speed is the most recent winner in the field and the forecast good ground suits him perfectly. He made all to score by six lengths at Lingfield over 2m7f on good to soft last time, putting the race to bed jumping well from the front. The step to genuinely good ground at Fakenham, a track that rewards front-runners handsomely, looks a natural upgrade.

The concern is a 137-day break, and that is a legitimate one. Trainer Andy Irvine has not had a winner in the last 14 days from four runners, so the yard is not firing at peak efficiency. Chad Bament carries a 7lb claim which softens that worry slightly. Raby Mere is respected, back in cheekpieces and with a course win to his name. He is fresh from a winning run at Southwell and his 4lb rise looks manageable. The difference is Tropical Speed is a progressive horse who may not have been seen to his best yet.

Rialannah is the market leader and Lucy Wadham's yard has been in decent nick. Her Uttoxeter run last time was eyecatching and the step up in trip suits. She is a genuine threat, but at 5/2 there is no value in the price given she has never won over hurdles in 15 attempts. Breezethroughlife won at this course in October and the wind op could transform things, but "could" is not enough at 6/1. Tropical Speed at 5/1 each-way is the bet, three places at 1/5 the odds.

3:10 — Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Mares' Handicap Chase (3m)

Selection: Annie Nail Each-Way at 9/4 with Bet365 or Coral

Five runners and two places at 1/4 odds, which means each-way terms are slightly tighter, but Annie Nail is worth backing to win. She has won over fences at this track before and came back here last week to win a handicap hurdle over 2m7f. Trainer Tracey Leeson has had one winner from two runners in the last 14 days, a small but positive strike rate. The mare reverts to chasing, which is where she scored at Fakenham, and her mark looks fair given recent form.

Yes, she is inconsistent. The form line reads 672631 and those sixes and sevens are there in plain sight. But Fakenham suits her, the good ground suits her, and the field is modest. Fortunefavorsdbold is the market favourite and has been placed repeatedly this season. However, the Spotlight data flags she ran poorly on her only previous visit here, and good ground is a step quicker than she ideally prefers. That is a meaningful knock against her at 13/8.

Ballygelly is fascinating. She won this exact race a year ago at big odds and unseated at the last when in front at this course in October. She is lightly raced for an eight-year-old and the course form is real. At around 11/2 she is a serious each-way alternative. Annie Nail at 9/4 is the primary selection on course record and recent winning form.

4:40 — Weatherbys Design & Print Maiden Hurdle (2m)

Selection: Jamada at 4/5 with Bet365

Four runners and a hot favourite. Normally that is a race to skip. But Jamada has an RPR of 118, which dwarfs the field, and Olly Murphy has had eight winners from 35 runners in the last 14 days. Sean Bowen rides. This horse won on debut over hurdles and has placed twice since, including second at Lingfield in January ahead of Sense Of Reason, who is the main market rival here at 15/8.

Sense Of Reason is interesting. Good ground may help him and the Spotlight suggests his Lingfield run was encouraging. But he was beaten two lengths by Jamada that day on soft. On faster ground, the gap could close. It could also stay the same. At 15/8 you are paying to find out. At 4/5 Jamada is a short price but the form is solid, the trainer is firing, and the opposition is limited. Not an each-way race with only four runners, and no value in anything else at current prices.

Crackalackin is the wildcard. Cheekpieces replace blinkers on his hurdling debut and Newland's yard has a reasonable 14-day record. He is a 5/1 shot with no hurdling form and an RPR to match. Pass.

Today's NAP