2:20 – Gabrielle Du Seuil 11/2
Two miles around Fakenham is ideal for a precocious front runner, and that’s exactly why Gabrielle Du Seuil is.
4th in a couple of races in France back in 2019, she was with David Pipe for the majority of last season but they ran out of time to run her. She held an entry for the Triumph Hurdle so she must’ve been held in relatively high regard.
She made her belated British debut at Uttoxeter a month ago, sporting a hood which is retained today. A tad keen, she jumped nicely in the lead until fading on the run to two out. Weak in the market (15/2 out to 28/1), she ran as the market suggested she would and she’s more than entitled to improve for that run, her first for 599 days. The yard’s horses have generally improved for their first run this season; their strike rate with horses on their second start of the season is 15% compared to 10% on seasonal debut, for an A/E of 0.67 and 1.06 respectively.
That race has worked out pretty well; the first 3 finished 1-3-4 in a deeper race at Exeter next time out, while the 4th won well NTO.
David Pipe brings 1 runner on the 550+ mile round trip to a track he has a phenomenal record at. He has a 47% S/R at Fakenham (17 wins from 37 runners, A/E 1.27) while that record improves further when he only had 1 runner at the track; 58% S/R (11 wins from 19 runners) for an A/E of 1.44.
The handicapper initially gave her a mark of 120 but has since dropped her a colossal 10lbs for her first run in the U.K, which allows her to sneak into this weak 0-110 handicap.
Tom Scudamore, who has a 62% S/R when riding David Pipe’s lone runner at the track, retains the ride and I think he’s a superb jockey from the front.
Everything looks set for a big run here and I’d be bitterly disappointed if she isn’t bang there at the finish.
overandclear.com 