December 22 / 14.43 Fakenham

14.43

Good To Soft

Sky Bet, For The Fans Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £5281
  • 2m 0f 3y
  • Class 4
  • 5 runners
RTV
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Sky Bet, For The Fans Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

6/4 (Won)

  • Win: £1.73
  • Place: £1.10

Form: 541523 D

Last run: 24 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 101

Form & Verdict
Won under Fern O'Brien at Newton Abbot (2m1f, good to soft) in July and has run well in defeat the last twice, most recently third of 15 at Taunton (2m3f, good to soft) last month; key player.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

1

27th May 2026

Good

2m 1f 46y

Class 5

18:38 Cartmel

Zhang Fei

12st 0lb

J: Fern O’Brien

T: Fergal O’Brien

Has struggled over hurdles since rejoining this stable but his penultimate Flat run was encouraging and this is his first time in a seller.

12/1

5th

3

(6)

14th May 2026

Good

1m 4f 5y

Class 5

17:03 Salisbury

Zhang Fei

9st 6lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Fergal O’Brien

He's struggled over hurdles since rejoining this stable but he ran a respectable race at Windsor (1m2f, good to firm) 10 days ago; needs to build on that effort now stepping back up in trip and he's without a win on the Flat since 2022.

5/1

4th

2

(7)

4th May 2026

Good To Firm

1m 2f 0y

Class 6

17:53 Windsor

Zhang Fei

9st 9lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Fergal O’Brien

8yo who has struggled back over hurdles since rejoining Fergal O'Brien in the autumn; his sole Flat win came at this track (11.4f, good to firm) but that was in 2022 and he has something to prove back in this sphere; hood reapplied.

16/1

11/4

  • Place: £1.40

Form: 786F42 D

Last run: 9 days

W: 11st 6lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 100

Form & Verdict
His losing run goes back 24 races to June 2023 but he's run well the last twice, finishing fourth of 15 at Taunton (2m3f, good to soft; not far behind Zhang Fei) then second of five to a highly progressive winner at Bangor (2m, soft); headgear switch shouldn't be an issue; can be in the mix.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

5

23rd Mar 2026

Good

1m 7f 50y

Class 4

14:15 Wincanton

Bigz Belief

10st 4lb

J: Tpr Elizabeth Feakes

T: Fergal O’Brien

Best of three hurdle runs for new stable this season when second of five in soft-ground Leicester seller (2m4f) in December; reverts to this code after going close off his basement Flat mark three weeks ago but others have more compelling claims; first ride under rules for Elizabeth Feakes.

6/1

2nd

8

(2)

2nd Mar 2026

Standard

1m 4f 51y

Class 6

20:30 Wolverhampton (AW)

Bigz Belief

8st 10lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Fergal O’Brien

This season's hurdling form for Fergal O'Brien was uninspiring and he was safely held when fourth in C&D classified race on Flat return in January; difficult to enthuse over.

14/1

4th

1

(6)

26th Jan 2026

Standard

1m 4f 51y

Class 6

20:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Bigz Belief

9st 9lb

J: Gina Mangan

T: Fergal O’Brien

Triple hurdle winner but his last success was in 2023 and he was well held at Taunton last Saturday; now returns to the Flat for the first time in 16 months and he's 1-24 in this sphere; opposable.

12/1

Form: 13471/ C

Last run: 610 days

W: 11st 2lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 96

Form & Verdict
Two-time course winner (over fences) who returns from long absence on a reduced mark and he's one to watch in the betting; has won twice over hurdles but chasing was his game in 2022-23 and others have far less to prove.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

13th Feb 2025

Soft

1m 7f 201y

Class 5

15:49 Leicester

Sabbathical

12st 0lb

J: Osian Radford

T: Evan Williams

Ended most recent campaign with a fifth chase win, in April 2023; well held over hurdles since back from an absence but his recent Sedgefield chase second for Osian Radford was encouraging; has won both course starts, over hurdles (2m4f, heavy) and this race in 2023; solid player.

8/1

2nd

4

5th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 77y

Class 4

14:35 Sedgefield

Sabbathical

11st 5lb

J: Osian Radford

T: Evan Williams

disputed lead, led after 2nd, faced challenge 2 out, headed just before last, bit short of room just after last, soon no extra

13/2

2nd

4

5th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 77y

Class 4

14:35 Sedgefield

Sabbathical

11st 5lb

J: Osian Radford

T: Evan Williams

disputed lead, led after 2nd, faced challenge 2 out, headed just before last, bit short of room just after last, soon no extra

13/2

Form: 23/68-

Last run: 320 days

W: 11st 12lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 106

Form & Verdict
Very lightly raced 5yo who showed promise for Alan King on soft and good ground in early 2023; however, he finished down the field in handicaps on his two runs last season and has plenty to prove on this stable debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

22nd Dec 2024

Good To Soft

2m 0f 3y

Class 4

14:43 Fakenham

Chandlers Bay

11st 12lb

J: James Best

T: Sarah Humphrey

Very lightly raced 5yo who showed promise for Alan King on soft and good ground in early 2023; however, he finished down the field in handicaps on his two runs last season and has plenty to prove on this stable debut.

10/1

1

22nd Dec 2024

Good To Soft

2m 0f 3y

Class 4

14:43 Fakenham

Chandlers Bay

11st 12lb

J: James Best

T: Sarah Humphrey

Very lightly raced 5yo who showed promise for Alan King on soft and good ground in early 2023; however, he finished down the field in handicaps on his two runs last season and has plenty to prove on this stable debut.

10/1

8th

6

6th Feb 2024

Good

2m 0f 104y

Class 4

14:50 Taunton

Chandlers Bay

11st 4lb

J: Tom Cannon

T: Alan King

Shaped well when placed over 2m at Ffos Las (soft) and Plumpton (good) early last year in his first two completions, but soundly beaten on handicap debut at Lingfield (2m, good to soft; weak 11-1) in December on his only start since; could have come on since that run.

16/1

OUR TIP

Form: P-5P13 D

Last run: 43 days

W: 11st 10lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
Yet to shine in handicaps but he won a maiden hurdle at Fontwell (2m1f, heavy) in March and a novice hurdle at Plumpton (2m, good to soft) in October, and he can be thereabouts if at the top of his game.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

5

25th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

16:08 Fontwell

Clinton Lane

10st 13lb

J: James Davies

T: Mark Gillard

2-20 over hurdles; put in good front-running shift before weakening into fifth at Ffos Las (2m4f, good) this month and may benefit from today's drop back in trip but others in the line-up have more appealing profiles.

8/1

1st

5

25th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

16:08 Fontwell

Clinton Lane

10st 13lb

J: James Davies

T: Mark Gillard

2-20 over hurdles; put in good front-running shift before weakening into fifth at Ffos Las (2m4f, good) this month and may benefit from today's drop back in trip but others in the line-up have more appealing profiles.

8/1

4

6th May 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

16:00 Ffos Las

Clinton Lane

11st 5lb

J: James Davies

T: Mark Gillard

Stuck to his task pretty well when fifth of 12 in Fontwell handicap (2m3f, good) 11 days ago but has rather mixed record since winning 2m Plumpton maiden in October and others appeal more.

12/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £2.80
Straight Forecast £3.45
Trifecta £10.10

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Zhang Fei

Daily Mirror:

Clinton Lane

D Express:

Chandlers Bay

LAMBOURN:

Bigz Belief

Daily Record:

Clinton Lane

RP RATINGS:

Zhang Fei

POSTDATA:

Zhang Fei

WEST COUNTRY:

Zhang Fei

The Times:

Zhang Fei

Telegraph:

Zhang Fei

The Sun:

Zhang Fei

The Star:

Zhang Fei