Fakiera

Fakiera stayed on well to take fourth place behind Gaillard Du Mesnil in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday. Settled in mid-division early on by Jack Kennedy, he came under pressure as they raced to the end of the back straight. No better than ninth as they approached the second last flight, he responded well to pressure, and he stayed on well over the last and up the run-in to take fourth place. It never looked like he was going to trouble the winner, but he closed on the placed horses Gentlemansgame and Stattler all the way to the line to finish just two lengths behind that pair.

It was a fine run by Gordon Elliott’s horse, probably a career-best in first-time cheekpieces and over the longest distance over which he has run to date. Second in three maiden hurdles last season, behind, respectively, Entoucas, Jon Snow (when he had Roseys Hollow behind him) and Politesse, he got off the mark over hurdles on his debut this season at Fairyhouse over two miles, and he followed up by landing the Grade 3 Monksfield Hurdle over two and a half miles at Navan, when he stayed on strongly to get up and beat Fire Attack, with last weekend’s Ladbrokes Hurdle runner-up Champagne Gold back in third. From the family of Grand Steeplechase de Paris winner El Paso, he raced here as if he will appreciate a step up to three miles and, as such, he could run a big race now if he is aimed at the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Leopardstown, 6^th February 2021