What a winter we’ve had!  Despite the frost, snow and rain that has disrupted the racing and point to point programme from December through to March, the meetings at Plumpton somehow seemed to have dodged the worst of that weather.  The only down spot being the loss of the first December meeting due to waterlogging and that was replaced by an additional fixture on 31 January where the frost covers once again came to the rescue.  So unless things go drastically wrong we should complete the annual programme of 16 meetings.

National Hunt racing has always been vulnerable to the elements and looking back there have only been five seasons since 1946 when the planned programme has been completed without any losses.  The improvements to drainage and the recent introduction of frost covers has meant that three of those abandonment free seasons have come in the last 12 years.

Numerically the worst seasons were 1974/75, 1977/78 and 1985/86 with six meetings being lost each season.  In 1974/75 waterlogging knocked out 4 of the six meetings planned during January, February and March and to make matters worse both days of the Easter meeting were lost to a combination of snow and waterlogging.

To move to more cheerful things I would like to add my congratulations to Mark Cornford and his team for winning the Neil Wyatt Groundstaff Award for the best jumps racecourse.  This is richly deserved and the ability of the team to get racing on even in the worst that winter can throw at them is a testimony to their efforts.

On the racecourse itself, Plumpton regular, The Hardy Boy won his sixth race at Plumpton on 31 January ridden by Mattie Batchelor.  This now leaves the ten years old just two behind equalling the Plumpton steeplechase record of Snitterfield.  Snitterfield was trained at Denmead, Hampshire by Michael Madgwick who also trained Sumdancer runner up to The Hardy Boy on his latest win.  The Hardy Boy made his racecourse debut in an Irish point to point at Templemore on 25 October 2004 and his first win came on 8 April 2005 when JT McNamara steered him to win at Dromahane.  Bought by Mrs John Grist, The Hardy Boy made his British racing debut in a novices hurdle at Plumpton on 17 October 2005 ridden by Colin Bolger.  Trainer Anna Newton-Smith saddled two others in that race, English Jim ridden by Mattie Batchelor and It’s official ridden by John McNamara.  Although The Hardy boy pulled up in that race he ran only once more in a hurdle race before going steeplechasing and scored his first win at Lingfield Park on 8 November 2006 (the only time he has won other than at Plumpton).

Anna Newton Smith who trains at Jevington near Eastbourne has a great record at Plumpton with eleven winners in the last five seasons and on 1 March this year she completed a double with Portrait Royale (a winner again on Easter Monday) and Pomander.

Mattie Batchelor who rode The Hardy Boy to his latest win is another regular with a career total of 38 winners at Plumpton and on Easter Sunday he rode the Lydia Richards owned and trained Kappelhoff to win the Bet Live In-Play At totesport.com Handicap Chase and in so doing beat The Hardy Boy be 35 lengths.  This was a first win at Plumpton for Kappelhoff who has won all his previous races at Fontwell Park.  Those with a very long memory might remember that the colours of white, cerise hoops and blue sleeves carried by Kappelhoff were worn by Ron Harrison to win the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown Park in 1960 on Plummers Plain who started 20/1 and was trained at Patching near Worthing by Sid Dale.