Scole will be hard to catch

GEOFF HUBBARD can strike with Scole and Gipsy Geof as racing moves from, "the high excitement of the National Hunt Festival to the more rustic charms of rural Fakenham.

Hubbard is not out of place at Cheltenham, where his Gee A won the Mildmay of Flete Chase in 1987 and Strong Promise ran an excellent sixth behind Urubande in the Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday.

But the owner/trainer's green and white colours are more often to be seen in the winner's enclosure at Huntingdon and Fakenham, the tracks nearest to his Woodbridge base.

He has good prospects of improving his fine record at Fakenham today when Scole should initiate a double in the Jewson Handicap Chase. The 11-year-old has been performing with credit in much better company than this of late, notably when runner-up to Master Boston at Kempton in January.

He ran well for a long way until his stamina gave out over a gruelling three miles at Newbury last time and will be well suited by this return to an extended 21 furlongs. Scole will be hard to catch around this tight course.

Gipsy Geof is a very interesting runner in a modest field for the second division of the Holkham Conditional Jockeys' Maiden Hurdle. Typical of his stable, the strapping five-year-old is a chaser in the making, a half-brother to Gold Cup winner Imperial Call no less.

Hut tie showed there are races to be won with him now on the first of two starts in National Hunt Flat races at Kempton in January, showing prominent from the off until weakening only late on as lack of peak fitness took its toll.

Bogged down in very soft ground at Sandown next time, the gelding will be much better suited by a sound surface today and looks to have been found the ideal opportunity to make a successful jumping debut.

Best bet at Folkestone could be Banntown Bill who can follow up a recent Bangor success in the Fair Rosamund Handicap Chase.