Cobden rides Fakenham double

The race for the jockeys championship goes on after Harry Cobden climbed just ahead of James Bowen with a double at Fakenham on Friday.Under soft going at the track he triumphed on two odds-on favourites to take a lead of one over main rival Sean Bowen.The first of these was Westerninthpark in the British EBF National Hunt Hurdle over two miles and four furlongs for trainer Anthony Charlton.After stalking West Warhorse over the first mile, Cobden played his hand by moving ahead and holding his lead throughout.With West War Horse weakening on the run-in, Westerninthepark got home by four lengths from Patriotik under Isabel Williams.The double was a tougher challenge.Riding Farland for champion trainer Paul Nichols in the final bumper flat race over two miles, rank outsider Jack Out Of Reach ridden by Micheal Nolan gave him plenty to do from the last before he got ahead to win by under a length.At the other end of the scale, claiming jockey Caoilin Quinn also rode a double, starting by taking the opening Payne Crop Rotation Selling Hurdle over two miles by a convincing margin.Riding Mi Sueno for trainer Paddy Butler, the pairing went straight into the lead and held it throughout, coming home by 13 lengthsto beat the favourite Triple Nickle.His second win of the afternoon came in the fourth race, the Tim Barclay Memorial Chase over two miles and five furlongs, thanks to a strong run on Invincible Nao for trainer Gary Moore.Never seriously challenged, the pairing dashed home by four lengths from Pearly Island.The second race on the card, the two-mile Novices Chase had plenty of incidents.One Last Glance seemed to suffer a bit of interference and ran out, losing his rider David Noonan in the process, and the fancied Dream Jet ridden by Cobden pulled up well before the finish.It was the outsider of the five-strong field, Elpologreg ridden by Micheal Nolan for Seamus Mullins who persevered to overtake Go Fox up the home straight and succeed by five lengths.Secret Investor was a fortunate winner of the William Bulwer Long Memorial Hunters Chase over three miles.Coming to the last, leader Tigerbythetail under Gina Andrews had a crashing fall. Grand Roi came in second.The fifth race, the Novices Hurdle over just under three miles went to For Gina under a determined ride by Alex Chadwick.Crem Fresh led for much of the way but the winner got to grips over the last half mile to beat Little Talks under Jack Quinlan.The next meeting at Fakenham is scheduled for Friday, March 15 and the first race is due off at 2pm.