Race-by-race guide to all the action at Fakenham on Tuesday

Jumps racing from Fakenham will be broadcast live on Racing TV for the first time on Tuesday and on the track’s big day of the year, headlined by the feature Snellings Norfolk National.

Grade One performers Greaneteen and Nube Negra as well as big-race winners Cap Du Nord, Cormier and Martello Sky have all won at Fakenham in recent years and, while it’s fair to say we’re unlikely to see any future stars at this early-May fixture, we can expect competitive action enjoyed by an enthusiastic and local crowd.

It’s a really enjoyable place to go racing in a lovely part of the country and definitely a track to try and tick off the 'racecourses to visit' list if you have yet to go. It's easy enough to make a short break of it too, with the seaside spot of Wells-next-the-Sea easily accessible and only 10 miles away with Holkham, Blakeney and Brancaster plenty to recommend them and also close by.

Tom Stanley and Jonathan Neesom will be your guides on the channel on Tuesday, with dedicated coverage of all six races available live Racing TV Extra.

The Flying Sofa is on the downgrade and has to concede weight all round but interestingly boasts a similar profile to last year’s winner Ar Mest and can strike once again in this race for Gary Moore.

Both horses completed their novice seasons on very similar marks with some smart pieces of form before starting well enough over fences without ever really going on. Like Ar Mest last year, The Flying Sofa – 8/13F to beat subsequent Triumph Hurdle winner Pentland Hills at Plumpton in his younger days – reverts back to hurdles for the first time after a long spell over fences.

The Flying Sofa also has winning form over course and distance – never a disadvantage here - the only runner in this nine-strong line-up with such credentials.

There are several interesting ‘characters’ lining up here and Brooksway Fair is taken to bounce back after shaping as if something was amiss last time with the yard not in great form.

Despite his fairly modest profile, it looks solid enough in the context of this race given he has attracted market support on most of his runs over fences and has won recently over fences. He's also somewhat ‘unexposed’ – if that’s quite the right phrase here – as a chaser over an intermediate distance.

Interestingly, Williams opts for the first-time cheekpieces and the trainer’s stats read well in this regard. Since the start of 2015, Williams has had 16 winners from 100 runners in the first-time cheekpieces for a decent SP profit and overall performance 19% better than that expected by the market.

High Tech looked like he was going to win but for falling at the last on his most recent outing and can make amends here if none the worse.

He has already run with credit at this track in a maiden hurdle of a slightly higher class than this and has placed in all three of his completed starts over hurdles. He was in the process of showing improved form up in trip last time on handicap debut.

Prevailing over the intermediate trip may prove key for High Tech getting his head in front here in a race lacking depth, with market rival Rathmacknee having to prove that the breathing operation has worked since last time and mare Pollypockett yet to match her fair bumper form over hurdles.

Watashock is the sole runner for Dan and Harry Skelton on the card and can strike on handicap debut up in trip.

His latest effort was an improvement on his previous debut effort over hurdles and he only lost out on the runner-up spot in the final half-furlong.

This is an early switch to handicap company and he can race keenly, but he still looks to have been handed an appealing opportunity in this fairly modest field and he looks the one with the most obvious upside in the short-term.

Tommie Beau has to conclusively prove he stays quite this far, but he has plenty else going for him in the big race of the day.

Unbeaten in two starts at Fakenham, he has a good strike-rate over fences as well as in his 15-race career as a whole and has enjoyed a progressive and consistent season over the larger obstacles. His sole failure to complete this term was when the jockey’s saddle slipped two starts ago while he was defeated in both runner-up efforts this term by just ½ length and a neck.

Tommie Beau performs best on good ground and conditions here will help him over 3m5f, while he he was only just beaten over 3m2f on the testing track at Carlisle back in December. This race is competitive with several recent winners, but Tommie Beau could still prove the coming force here.

Socialiser is related to some top-class performers, including Dusart and the ill-fated Simonsig, and can strike on Rules debut.

Socialiser got off the mark in points at the fourth attempt last time in a trajectory of steady progression so far, while further improvement could be eked out on the first start for Jamie Snowden.

The trainer has only run three horses in hunter chases since 2003 but has three winners from three starters in this sphere since 2016 and the yard landed the opening hunter chase of the season with Hogan’s Height, another horse who carries the silks of Foxtrot Racing.