Fakenham stages a six-race National Hunt card on Friday, Oct 20th, between 14.33 and 17.25.

Brian Hughes, Nico de Boinville and Harry Cobden are among the top jocks in action. We’re not inundated with runners, but the racing should be interesting and highly entertaining.

Weather warning – Inspection at 07.30, Friday

16.18 – My Gift To You @ 7/2

A trappy 2m 4f handicap hurdle, and a 5-yr-old gelded son of Kingston Hill is the selection. My Gift To You is trained by Newmarket handler James Owen and ridden by the excellent Harry Cobden. The pair have struck up quite the partnership when Harry isn’t too distracted by the day job with multiple champion Paul Nicholls!

Harry has won a couple of little hurdles on him already and finished runner-up on his last two racecourse appearances. Last time just over 7 weeks ago at Hexham he was a very respectable running-on third, and has become very consistent.

He steps back in trip on Friday on this fairly flat, tight circuit and has for me a very bright chance of resuming winning ways. Decent racing weight of 11st 1lb, and Harry’s just about as good as it gets these days.

16.53 – Tweed Skirt @ 5/2

Doesn’t take much to persuade me to plump for a Nicky Henderson-trained, de Boinville-ridden conveyance at one of the game’s smaller venues, no disrespect intended. It’s Nico’s only booked mount on the card, and it’s fair to say that this is one of Nicky’s slightly lesser lights.

Tweed Skirt has still won some decent races, and has undoubted talent. She’s had wind surgery since a very creditable 4th in a mares’ final at Cheltenham no less back in April, and given that likely boost, plus her prestigious address, I’d rather be with her than against her.

This is a cracking little contest for the track, with around £15k to the winner, and it looks competitive. Can’t escape that Seven Barrows, Lambourn magic though, and this Norfolk raid has every chance of being fruitful in my book.