Tom Gretton starts the new year with a bang after a double at Fakenham nets him a £1,000 bonus

Tom Gretton helped himself to a double and a £1,000 bonus on the most valuable raceday ever staged at Fakenham to get the new year off to a winning start.

The cash windfall, which pays out when a trainer has two or more winners on the same card, also extended to both sets of successful owners for the Worcestershire handler, who had previously had only one winner at the track in the past five years.

Crac De Megaudais got punters off to a flyer for 2025 when justifying 2-1 favouritsim in the opening amateur jockeys' handicap hurdle over 2m4f before stablemate One Last Glance  ran out an equally impressive winner of the 2m5f novice handicap chase.

Gretton said: "One Last Glance runs in the colours of owner-breeders Fred Camis, Ray Fielder and Mel Clarke, who are all here today, and to come and win a £15,000 race and then get a £1,000 bonus on top is something else. It proves that if courses put on prize-money we will come. Other tracks should take notice."

The £1,000 bonus has been running for three years and clerk of the course David Hunter said: "If nothing else it encourages trainers to put another horse on the lorry with the prospect of winning it and the same for each set of owners."

Mitchell double 

The scheme does not yet include jockeys, which is a shame as Freddie Mitchell, who won on One Last Glance, would have been in the money as he also claimed the 2m7½f mares' novice handicap hurdle on Malago Rose.

Malago Rose was sent off favourite when disappointing on her first start for Neil Mulholland last month but got it right here in the hands of the 5lb claimer.

Again well supported into 2-1 second favourite in the seven-runner contest, Malago Rose made no mistake to score by 13 lengths and give Mitchell a first winner for the Wiltshire trainer.

The winning jockey said: "I went a bit soon, but she's outstayed them despite there being no pace early."

Pearly in the pennies

Pearly Island and Tom Cannon after their triumph

A suggestion from jockey Tom Cannon was the key to the win of Pearly Island in the feature £35,000 2m4f handicap hurdle for trainer Lucy Wadham.

The 7-1 chance was making his first appearance over hurdles in nearly two years when coming from off the pace to account for Godot.

Cannon said: "After he ran over fences at Doncaster last time I suggested a try back over hurdles. It's nice to get it right sometimes."

Gazette makes the news

The bumper prize-money on offer was also behind the win of Gazette Bourgeoise in the final qualifier for the Queen Boudicca Mares' Chase Series.

The 7-2 chance, a welcome winner for Ben Case, was originally supposed to go straight for the final of the series back at the track on January 19 until connections realised there was £20,000 up for grabs. 

The winner warmed to the task to register her first chase success at the 13th attempt under Harry Bannister.

Gazette Bourgeoise was carrying the colours of the 1989 Grand National winner Little Polveir as he is owned Alex Harvey, son of the Aintree winner's owner Edward.

Alex Harvey said: "We have not long had her wind done, so we were thinking of the final, but when we saw this pot we thought it was mad not to have a go." 

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