By Joice Alves LONDON (Reuters) -Sterling was set for its biggest daily gain since January 2017 against a weakening U.S. dollar on Thursday after U.S. consumer prices rose less than expected, opening the way for the Federal Reserve to slow the pace of its interest rate hikes. After falling 1.6% on Wednesday, the pound leapt 2.86% to a session high of $1.1685, hitting its highest since Sept. 13. “The CPI report has reinforced the sell-off momentum in the dollar,” said Lee Hardman, currency strategist at MUFG in London. “It gives the market more confidence that there could be a turn in the infla…