Six races planned for the Tapping House Hospice Raceday mark the start of a new season of National Hunt Racing at the ever-popular Fakenham racecourse on Friday.

Good ground is forecast for the opening meeting of the 2024/25 campaign with the highlight the £15,000 PH Betts (Holdings) Ltd Novice Hurdle at 4.20pm, which has attracted an initial entry of 18 runners.

The two-and-a-half-mile contest sees a host of already successful novices in the entries, including trainer Neil Mulholland’s Double Powerful. The five-year-old gelding won at Kelso earlier this month, having previously scored at Market Rasen and over course and distance at Fakenham in March.

Catboy, with Jack Tudor already booked to ride for trainer Christian Williams, is seeking to follow up a win at Fontwell in September while Gary and Josh Moore have entered recent Huntingdon runner-up Nachtgeist.

Leading jumps trainers Nigel Twiston-Davies and Dan Skelton are both likely to chase the prize with Opera King and Bahtiyor respectively. The former was a Market Rasen second in September while Bahtiyor was fourth last time at Fontwell.

The day’s action opens at 2pm with the £130,000 Prize Money @Fakenham 1st January Hurdle, entries for which include Skelton’s Ronnies Rules, a winner in three National Hunt flat races at Stratford. On hurdling debut, also at Stratford, Ronnies Rules unseated his rider at the second flight.

Piecederesistance for Micky Hammond was second on the flat at Newmarket in August while Twiston-Davies’ The Expensive One was runner-up on debut over the smaller obstacles at Newton Abbot in September.

There are two chases starting with the 3.10pm £50,000 Queen Boudicca Series Qualifier Mares’ Chase at 3.10pm. The seven initial entries include the Ian Williams-trained Mary, a faller on chase debut at Worcester last month.

Previously a Fakenham winner, Skelton has Omaha Wish entered while Twiston-Davies has Call Blue, the mare second at Newton Abbot on chase debut.

The second chase is the finale at 4.55pm, the norfokhospice.org.uk Chase in which the Moores have Call Off The Dogs. The nine-year-old gelding had won three times and been second once in four outings at Fontwell this summer.

Miami Magic for Stuart Edmunds, Kilbarry Hill for Ollie Murphy and Windsurfer for Ben Case look interesting in the 2.35pm Tapping House Norfolk Hospice Maiden Hurdle while Bowling Buddy, also from Murphy’s yard, bids for a hat-trick in the 3.45pm Wensum Pools Hurdle.