WESTERNINTHEPARK 2.40 Fakenham at 4/6 

British EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle (Class 4) 2m4f1y

Pedigree

€22,000 F, €30,000 3yo, £100,000 Che Jan 23; fourth foal; half-brother to bumper/2m3f-2m4f hurdle winner Cougar Kid; dam unraced half-sister to 11.5f and 1m4f Flat/smart 2m-2m5f jump winner 2m5f Sky's The Limit out of German Oaks winner

Trainer Form: 4-18 for 22%          (10)
National average: 10%               (10)
Course Strike Rate: NA              (10)
RPR: 122                            (10)
Optimum Ground: Soft                (10)      
Optimum Distance: 2m4f              (10)
Jockey: Harry Cobden                (10)
National Average: 23%               (10)
Course Strike Rate: 35%             (10)
Trainer & Jockey Combo: 43%         (10)
Total:                             (100)

Open to improvement with conditions to suit

The Racing Horse disagrees with the Timeform View on this occasion as we have our Pacafi 7lbs or more in hand given the jockey bookings. This £100,000 purchase was a useful bumper winner who built on his hurdling debut when landing the odds in a 12-runner novice at Plumpton over 2½f plus 18 days ago, when kept up to work. He is naturally open to further improvement but this time has the services of Harry Cobden to assist so has excellent claims under a penalty.

Trainer and Jockey Form

TRH has never previously backed a runner of Anthony Charlton (10%) as a Pacafi, we have not backed a runner of this trainer in any race, but we recognise he is in good form and has enlisted the services of Harry Cobden to help continue the progress of his charge.

We do not know very much about the trainer other than he ran 22 horses from September 2002 to October 2004 and did not record a single second, third or fourth place. Since his return to training he has shown something altogether different! For example, January 2024 to the present he has shown 7-48 for 15% which includes 8 second places. He has not had a winner yet at Fakenham from 3 runners, but when Harry Cobden rides for him they combine 3-7 for 43% and a second place for a level stake profit of +7.17 and prizemoney of £25,000. This horse even has an entry in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) at the Festival.

From a jockeyship point of view Harry Cobden has to beat rival Eddie Edge who has career stats of 3-86 for 3% with 0-7 at Fakenham, and we doubt his 7lb claim will impact on this race.

Contender

The return to this track for C&D winner West Warhorse may be a fillip after his steering issues at Plumpton last time,but he does have a bit to prove (with the hood back on) after that and now races against an improver who will love the ground and race conditions. Patriotik won a confined maiden Irish point last month so not given trainer Evan Williams any time to know him, besides he will need any amount of immediate improvement on that form if he is to be competitive and must surely drift from his 4/1 current price!

Timeform View

Previous-winners WEST WARHORSE and Westerninthepark look the pair to focus on before market clues. The former jumped and hung right throughout at Plumpton last month, but he's worth another chance returning from a longer break given the impression he created when scoring over C&D in a good time in December.

Perceived value

The 4/6 looks north of perceived value though we had hoped to nick a bit of 8/11 or even 4/5.

SkyBet (17.25) are offering 5/6 if you can get on and looks to be real value. We cannot wager with SkyBet...

PACAFI RESULTS