Gifford hoping to hit the pin again with Fairway Freddy

The prize-money at Market Rasen on Sunday is not to be sniffed at and a field of 12 chase the biggest pot of the day, with £21,800 on offer in the 2m½f handicap hurdle (3.15).

It does not take much digging to find recent winning form either, with a third of the field having scored on their latest outing.

Fairway Freddy chases a hat-trick for the New Gold Dream syndicate, having followed up a seven-length win at Wincanton in November with a four-and-a-half length success at Kempton four days later.

“He banged his knee and was lame for a little while but he seems fine now,” said trainer Nick Gifford.

“What we learned at Plumpton when we tried to hold him up is that he just wouldn’t settle, so I said to Rex Dingle at Wincanton to find a rhythm and don’t be trying to hold him up. He doesn’t have to lead but that’s the way to ride him.

"He’ll love the ground and the track. We’ll find out if we’ve come to the end of our little run or if we’re still competitive. He works like a nice horse at home so hopefully there is more to come.”

The Twisler, a Listed winner on the Flat for Jane Chapple-Hyam in 2015, is beginning to fulfil his potential over hurdles and after a good second at Leicester in December was a comfortable winner at Wincanton last time, for which he was raised 8lb.

He has the assistance of champion jockey Richard Johnson for the first time.

Trainer Neil Mulholland said: “He’s running well thankfully and Market Rasen is a similar track to Wincanton, so fingers crossed he can run a nice race. He was gutsy last time and we’ve had worse rises in the handicap in the past.“

Mulholland added that the Johnson-partnered Queen’s Magic can “hopefully go close” in the opener.

Alan King runs two on the card, including Dino Velvet in the feature, although he fears the handicapper may still have his measure.

“We were planning to go chasing this season with Dino Velvet, but he didn’t school that well so we've stayed 5down the hurdling route,” said King.

“I was amazed they made him favourite at Kempton last time as I've been insisting the handicapper has him 10lb too high. After finishing unplaced there he has been dropped 4lb, which is a start.”

Jimmy Rabbitte, two-from-two since joining Richard Newland, looks an obvious danger to all, with Charlie Hammond taking a handy 5lb off after a 10lb rise in his handicap mark.

King chooses wisely for Path

Chosen Path was set to face just one rival at Doncaster on February 7, only for that plan to be scuppered by the outbreak of equine flu.

Trainer Alan King has, however, found a replacement two-runner contest and, whereas he would have been the outsider at Doncaster, he is set to go off favourite in the 3m novice chase (3.50), with close to £8,000 going to the winner.

“Chosen Path found two and a half miles a bit sharp around Plumpton and clearly appreciated going up to three at Newbury next time when justifying favouritism, so I’d like to think he’ll go well,” said King.

His only rival is Skipthecuddles, trained by Graeme McPherson and soundly beaten in two chase starts so far, although the first of those was in a hot Grade 2 at Newbury.

Williams trio look well placed

It could prove a productive afternoon for Venetia Williams, who sends three runners on the 360-mile round trip to Market Rasen from her base in deepest Herefordshire.

As well as First Figaro in the feature handicap hurdle, Williams could well saddle two favourites, with recent Ludlow winner Longhousesignora bidding to follow up in the 2m4½f mares’ handicap hurdle (2.45) and Mixchievous looking hard to beat in the 2m3f handicap chase (4.20) after his win at Ffos Las last time.

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