This was a typical Plumpton meeting where the quality on view was provided by the novices’ and the opening maiden hurdle event was won by Montbazon who was the horse prior to racing with the most potential of all the runners on the card and whose ultimately straight forward success gave him the extra practice and experience his trainer Alan King was hoping for. Racing wide in midfield and travelling well throughout he moved up to take closer order before the third last. Despite a small scare there when he appeared to collide with the eventual second Victor Leudorum, his jockey Wayne Hutchinson only then had to shake the reins to allow his partner to draw readily clear from his rivals rounding the home bend before extending nicely up the home straight.

“It was good practice and he might now go for the listed hurdle at Exeter in around two weeks’ time. He will need to go somewhere as he is still babyish but is a gorgeous horse” were the thoughts of his trainer post race.

Although I would have to say Montbazon may prove to be the best of the two, the performance of Aikideau in the 2m5f novice hurdle was just as visually impressive. A winner over course and distance at the start of the month, the Andy Stewart owned five year old again showed himself to be a progressive type and his trainer Richard Rowe has a significant target mapped out for him.

“The EBF Final at Sandown is where I would like to go with him and I think if he gets a mark on or around 130 he will have a good chance of getting in that handicap off of a relatively low weight. Andy Stewart kindly agreed to me keeping him over hurdles this season but everything he does is a bonus because we think he will make a smashing chaser” said Richard after the win.

The Alan King trained pair Diamond Sweeper and Ruling Party filled the places with the former running on encouragingly all the way up the home straight. Madam Noso led until the third last before weakening but I see this as being a decent race of its kind and the mare could be competitive in a small handicap toward the end of the season.

Throughout the morning and indeed on course, Flementine was all the rage in the betting market and that confidence proved well founded with the four year old mare taking the concluding bumper in good style. She cost forty two thousand at the April Cheltenham Sale and the long, scopey daughter of Flemensfirth certainly can progress from this winning debut.

“I am quite excited by her and she looks a chaser. I think the listed mares’ race at Aintree will be her target this season if all goes well” were the comments of her trainer Martin Keighley.

Both of the winners’ of the handicap hurdles’ on the card were won in convincing style. Firstly in the staying conditional jockeys’ race, the Jonjo O’Neill trained favourite Storm Survivor travelled beautifully throughout before having to be ridden out to beat The Red Laird. His rider Maurice Linehan is very stylish and judged the race very well and is a young rider of great potential. The first time visor seemed to help Storm Survivor who remains a horse on the upgrade. The Red Laird looked very well in the paddock on his first outing of the season and stuck to his task admirably after coming off the bridle before the third last. He can improve for this.

The win of the Lucy Wadham trained Songsmith was also very taking. The gelding took the 2m handicap hurdle in facile style.

“He is starting to strengthen up after disappointing us for a little while. He looks to be improving” were the thoughts of his trainer.

The most exciting finish of the day came from the smallest field of the day. Mattie Batchelor never gave up aboard the eventual winner of the 2m1f novice handicap chase, Whitcombe Spirit. He traded at big numbers in running before running on resolutely to get up on the stick to pip Lady Willa, who may have thrown the race away by looking around her after the last. Trainer Jamie Poulton said he had no idea how the horse would run because he has proved down the years to be extremely inconsistent. However, today was his day and the Telscombe trainer maintained his excellent course record with the success.

The staying handicap chase went to bottom weight Ballinhassig for local trainer Sarah Wall. The seven year old went one better than his recent run over course and distance to see off his rivals and his connections were rightly delighted with his performance. Having gone to the front with a circuit to run he jumped nicely throughout and earnt his rider Marc Goldstein a day’s hunting on him later in the year according to Sarah who has had the horse for over three years.

An enjoyable day and we now look forward to racing returning on Monday the thirteenth.

I spoke with the clerk of the course Mark Cornford and he has stated that the going is currently on the softer side of good to soft and with no rain of any substance forecast over the weekend he expects the ground to dry out a little. The forecast for Sunday night is a bit erratic at the time of writing but temperatures are only expected to dip just under zero on Friday evening and if the forecast for Sunday does involve a further light frost all take off and landing areas will be protected as will the track crossings.

The Richard Rowe trained Aikideau won impressively here at the Sussex National meeting and the soft ground that day was put forward by his trainer as a significant factor in the success. The extra five furlongs also seemed to benefit the five year old gelding and he will be a significant player in the 2m5f novice hurdle here. The six pound penalty he will have to overcome will make things less straightforward but his trainer is also in excellent form and Aikideau is a nice individual and looks progressive. There are several interesting potential rivals in the five day declarations and Alan King has a multiple entry. His strike rate at Plumpton is nothing short of superb and of his potential runners’ I particularly like Bygones In Brid. He has some classy bumper form to his name and after a disappointing hurdles debut at Ffos Las he returned a much more encouraging effort at Cheltenham last time. In time he will need three miles but this step up to 2m5f at this stage of his career should definitely elicit some improvement from the son of Old Vic.

The 2m maiden hurdle that will open the card is very well subscribed, as is the card as a whole, and contains a number of interesting entries. Jim Best was intending to send his highly promising bumper horse Western High to Uttoxeter on Saturday for his hurdles debut. That option has not been taken up and the possibility arises that he will come here instead. He is well thought of and although Jim feels he will get further in time he should still have the quality to make an impact here. Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has a couple of entries in Taoufick Du Seuil and Opening Batsman. The former has yet to see the track in the Uk after transferring to the powerful Ditcheat yard but had encouraging bumper form in the French Provinces. The latter is a relatively cheap purchase form Ireland and showed promise in two bumpers prior to Christmas. However, if Alan King decides to send Montbazon he will be a very short price to get off the mark over hurdles. He was a decent bumper horse with placed finishes at Cheltenham and Aintree to his name and a reproduction of his second to Colour Squadron over hurdles at Newbury would make him very, very difficult to beat here. Let’s hope he turns up as it is always to see a horse of quality here at Plumpton.

The weights for the novices handicap chase are headed by Watergate who scored a decisive win last time at Folkestone. Though he will not be helped by going up six pounds for that success, his jumping will stand him in good stead and his mark still looks viable. If turning up, Whatshallwedo will prove a worthy rival. Since transferring to Tim Vaughan, the seven year old has won on two of his three runs for the yard including a facile victory on his only chase start at Bangor. He was very disappointing on his last start when being beaten at odds on back over hurdles but that was his third race in sixteen days and it is viable to suggest that may have had a bearing on his performance. His technique over fences at Bangor was very good and he too could be starting life in chase handicaps off a competitive mark.

The handicaps that make up the rest of the card are typical of their kind for the track. They all look competitive at this stage and it will be interesting to analyse them when the final declarations are made on Sunday.

The seven race card gets underway at 1.10.

Temperatures dipped to -3 overnight and covered the course in a light frost. A bright sunny day saw off the frost and the going remained good to soft. The flight of hurdles at the top of the back straight and the fence at the top of the home straight were omitted throughout the day due to false ground.

The most impressive winner on the card was Niceonefrankie who, under a text book Plumpton ride from Aidan Coleman, sauntered home in the 2m4f handicap chase. In defying the seven pound penalty he incurred for his win at Hereford, the son of Ishiguru jumped and travelled well in behind the leaders’ before being sent on turning for home and coming effortlessly away from his rivals. The six year old is much improved over fences and will leave this grade behind. It would be a surprise if Venetia Williams changed his trip or failed to find him another winning opportunity in the near future.

Alan King improved his already impressive course record when his novice hurdler Henry San won the opening 2m event. The gelding broke his maiden over hurdles at the third time of asking and had little difficulty in picking up his rivals after the second last and then gradually drawing clear. The assistant trainer Noel King said “He was caught a little flat footed before the home straight. He stuck to his task well though and is improving.” Specialagent Alfie finished a plucky third and his trainer Nick Gifford remarked afterwards “He is still weak but I’m very hopeful he will win one of these before too long.”

The concluding handicap hurdle was dominated in the betting market by Double Handful and that confidence was transferred into reality by the Lawney Hill trained gelding. In making it two from two for the trainer, the son of Pentire had a ton in hand over his rivals and scored a facile success. His new trainer has transformed this formerly disappointing individual and it would be surprising if he did not win again soon. The trainer stated post race that the gelding is also much better going right handed.

William Hill bookmakers reported that the best backed horse of the morning had been Pretty Penny in the staying handicap chase and that support proved to be well placed as the Jennifer Mason trained mare won on her rules debut for the yard. The trainer commented “Peter wanted to give Pretty Penny a run between the flags to get her confidence back as she wasn’t really enjoying hurdling in the spring. She won a bit like that, she just does enough. She jumps well and stays.”

The locally trained Goring Two has been well supported on his last two runs here and has run very similar races on both occasions. Yesterday he looked sure to win the 2m1f handicap chase when going on rounding the home turn but after an awkward jump at the second last he was picked up again by the Linda Jewell trained Shes Humble who then went on at the last before going on to record back to back successes in this race. Anna Newton-Smith commented afterwards. “I felt the jump at the second last cost him the race. We wanted softer ground but decided to go for it anyway. He remains a horse who can continue to improve.”

Undoubtedly the unluckiest loser of the day was Lady Kathleen in the mares’ only novice hurdle. She was in the process of going clear when coming down at the last. She looked to have jumped it well enough but could not get her feet out in time and her impetus brought her down. This left the race at the mercy of the Martin Keighley trained One More Cookie. The daughter of Old Vic had been staying on resolutely from a long way back and her efforts were rewarded with the favourite’s misfortune and she was still drawing clear at the line. Undoubtedly one for an even stiffer test of stamina, it will be interesting to see where One More Cookie goes next.

The qualifier for the Cheltenham Bonus Series was reduced in quality by the withdrawal of both the front two in the early market but that will not have bothered the trainer of the winner Golan Guy one iota. Alison Batchelor, who trains at Petworth, did not see much of the performance by her seven year old chaser as she stood nervously by the paddock listening only to the racecourse commentary. However, when she reviews the tape of the race she will be delighted at her charges jumping and with the manner of his victory. On what we saw here, Golan Guy should give Alison and her team a lot more fun.

Racing returns to Plumpton on Monday 30^th January with the first race scheduled for 1.10.

Everybody at Plumpton will be delighted with the excellent volume of five day entries for this meeting and the day is shaping up to provide some competitive racing for race goers to enjoy.

Although there was heavy rain at the course on the day after the last meeting it has been dry since and the track has been drying steadily with the clerk of the course Mark Cornford now describing the going as good to soft with the odd soft place. The forecast is for a clear weekend and race day and Mark expects the ground to be riding on the dead side come Monday. All take offs, landing areas and road crossings will be covered, which is a standard precaution. Mark is very pleased with how the track has recovered from the last meeting and he and his team have put in many hours getting it back into tip top shape.

The novice chase is another Cheltenham Bonus Series qualifier and Nicky Henderson has three entries for this 2m4f contest. Loose Preformer won at Doncaster earlier this week when left alone after his only other rival departed and as a result could turn out again quickly. Mush Mir is an ex flat performer who won on his chase debut at Warwick and enjoys his front running role whilst Owen Glendower is of similar ability to the other two based on BHA ratings. Whichever Henderson sends down will feature strongly in the market. Alan Kings Kumbeshwar won here at the last meeting and has an entry to return and a step up in trip should not be an inconvenience. If he takes his chance he would appear to be the horse to beat here. Chariot Charger has always been well regarded and after a break of over eighteen months he returned to win a three mile chase at Uttoxeter. The eight year old should enjoy the decent ground and his trainer mentioned the Newbury Hennessy Gold Cup as a possibility after his win at Uttoxeter. Although that idea never became a reality it does suggest Emma Lavelle at least still feels there is still plenty to come from the gelding. The drop back in trip here is a point of conjecture for Chariot Charger.

The concluding 2m hurdle is a fascinating contest with a couple of locally trained novices switching to open handicap company. The top weight Mr Muddle is from the Sheena West yard and she had some pretty lofty aspirations for the five year old last term. Last year, he ran in the Adonis at Kempton before missing the cut for the Imperial Cup and then running in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival. Mr Muddle finished his campaign with a win here over half a mile further but was dismounted shortly after the finishing line and has not been seen since. If the market suggests he is tuned up for his return his rating does look feasible at this stage. The Gary Moore trained Jodawes has been running with credit on his switch to hurdles and he ran a very solid second here last time behind a horse in Balder Succes who is well thought of. This looks like the type of contest he can win be it on Monday or in the future. Mentalist is a juvenile who could travel down from the Venetia Williams yard and has the potential to progress further whilst a number of the other possible protagonists have solid form in this grade and will ensure the potential improvers mentioned come up to scratch.

The opening novice 2m hurdle has some reasonable prospects amongst the entries who have the scope for further improvement. The decent flat stayer Private Story will need to improve his hurdling technique based on what we saw of him at Market Rasen last May. Tim Vaughan is the man to elicit that and the US bred gelding should appreciate the forecast ground conditions. Battleoftrafalgar has shown some promise for Michael Attwater in his two hurdle outings at Newbury although a bit of stemming through Magic Prospect suggests he might have something to find with Private Story. Gary Moore has Petit Ecuyer entered who has an inconsistent profile but if things fall into place could feature. I liked the performance of Specialagent Alfie when third at the last meeting and the better ground here should be in his favour. His trainer sees him as a future chaser but he is strengthening up all the time and this might be his opportunity in this slightly weaker race.

The rest of the card is made up of handicaps and a mares’ novice hurdle. With the forecast set fair and  the good entry level the Timeform Raceday is shaping up to be an enjoyable afternoon’s racing.

Thankfully, the poor recent weather across the region broke for a day and the scene for the Sussex National was a bright and sunny one. Eighteen millimetres of rain in the previous twenty four hours ensured the going description was heavy, soft in places and that view was supported by the jockeys who commented that the horses’ were still going through the ground well enough. The winter racing lines were in place for the first time which helped with fresh ground being opened up on both courses.

The Sussex National was full of incident with only a third of the field finishing the contest after some ragged jumping and unfortunate falls. That started at the very first fence when Zimbabwe slithered and fell and in so doing brought down the luckless Diamond Brook. The melee was also responsible for badly hampering Mid Div And Creep who never quite recovered and was subsequently always trailing his rivals along with Near The Water who was also detached after this incident. Evella, who looked as though the race would benefit her in the paddock prior, set out to make all at a pretty good pace for the trip and although she was ultimately pulled up on the home turn when well beaten there is plenty of enthusiasm to draw from this seasonal debut for her connections. The very well supported favourite Strongbows Legend raced prominently and was still travelling well when coming down at the fence at the top of the back straight. The eventual winner Double Dizzy was sent on at the same fence on the final circuit and with his nearest rival Justabout unable to match his pace, the Bob Buckler trained eleven year old was held together in front before drawing clear in the straight and comfortably beating the only other two finishers, Justabout and Mid Div And Creep. “He has a mind of his own but I always thought he would win a nice race like this. I was worried when he was left in front so far out. But no problem and I’m delighted” commented his trainer post race. All the other horses’ who took part returned okay after their exertions in this stiff test of stamina.

The opening novice hurdle saw the UK debut of Balder Succes and the market confidence in the French import was to prove very well founded with an impressive victory. The son of Goldneyev travelled well, quickened nicely in the straight and strode clear after the last. The form is only fair but the manner of the win and the confidence in him suggests Balder Succes will certainly be at least given a chance at a higher level. Specialagent Alfie looked a nice type in the paddock beforehand and improved on his previous efforts with a good run in third having led the field off the home bend. His trainer Nick Gifford said afterwards “He is still a frame of a horse, will need plenty of time and will ultimately fulfil his potential over fences. He is typical of his family in being a late maturing type and will be kept at two miles for the time being, but as he matures he should get further.”

After his win with Balder Succes, trainer Alan King completed a quick fire double when his novice chaser Kumbeshwar won a qualifier for the Cheltenham Festival Bonus, seeing off his two rivals in comfortable fashion. He jumped very well throughout, as did his only serious rival Criqtonic. King described Kumbeshwar as more of a Grand Annual horse than an Arkle performer and that may be the race for him if he makes it to the Cheltenham Festival and attempts to land the bonus this win now entitles him to. He was nice and relaxed in the paddock beforehand but personally I was more taken by the looks of Criqtonic. He is quite a good size and looked very strong although after the event Paul Nicholls pupil assistant Tom Jonasson said he would benefit from the run. He said “He is quite a lean type which can deceive when you are looking at them in terms of fitness. He will definitely benefit from the run and I was pleased with his run and Daryl looked after him after his chance had gone. Better ground will help as will a step up in trip. It is too early to say where he could go but this was encouraging.” The fact that Criqtonic also had an entry for the valuable novice chase at Newbury over the weekend tells you something about the regard he is held in and although there is a lot of water to go under the bridge just yet, the novice handicap chase at the Festival could be a long term aim for the champion trainer’s youngster.

Trainer Richard Rowe had been delighted to see the rain for his hurdler Aikideau and felt that the combination of the soft ground and the step up in trip was a great benefit to the horse and explained his win in the 2m5f novice hurdle. Whilst he ultimately deserved his win, he was helped enormously by the questionable attitude of the odds on favourite Kings Lodge who had travelled very well until coming under pressure between the final two flights.  The third horse home, Holywell, was beaten a long way but there was some encouragement in his performance. He also travelled well until seemingly outpaced leaving the back straight. He went for a big walk in the market and this experience will have benefited him. It was rather a shame to see this race cut up quite as much as did from the five day stage and it is probably only a fair contest in terms of quality.

The tightest finish of the day was seen in the handicap hurdle over the same 2m5f trip. Oscar Charlie fended off Terra Bleu by a head. The young conditional Brendan Powell rode the second which preceded his second place finish on Justabout in the Sussex National. The day did not get any better for the promising young rider who came down at the last in the last on his mount Drawn Free, a race that was won tidily by Action Impact for the course leading trainer Gary Moore. He was very well backed throughout the day and despite running in snatches came home a decisive winner. It might be, better ground will help him.

The Sussex National is the feature race on the card and is indeed the principal event in the racecourse’s annual calendar. Last year the contest was won by Minella Boys and he has an entry for this year’s renewal but will have to contend with a seven pound higher mark this time around. His form subsequently does not immediately catch the eye but on closer inspection there is still reason to be hopeful that this is a decent opportunity for him to make another bold show for victory. The gelding was second in the valuable Classic Chase at Warwick last season as well as contesting the highly competitive Eider Chase and Kerry National. There was also promise on his penultimate outing at Ffos Las when third and although his last start at Chepstow was certainly disappointing he has now twice run very poorly in two starts at the idiosyncratic Welsh track. The tongue tie has also been missing for his last two runs and if reapplied by trainer Charlie Longsdon it would not surprise me at all if he figures prominently in Monday’s event. Longsdon has a couple of other entries in the shape of Rey Nacarado and Strongbows Legend. These two gradually improving staying chasers’ both have decent claims if takng their chance and they give their trainer a very strong hand at the five day declaration stage. Of the other possible candidates for success, Picture In The Sky is a chaser in form after his win at Towcester when he had Rate Of Knots behind and the two are closely matched on revised terms. Rateable Value would have his supporters’ if he could be forgiven his atrocious run here at the last meeting having previously looked a potential improver for Colin Tizzard.

The novice chase over 2m1f is another qualifier for the Cheltenham Bonus Series and Tizzard has entered his stable star Cue Card, just as he did for the qualifier at the previous meeting. Should he accept this engagement he will obviously be a short priced favourite and to see a horse of his quality will be a treat for all Plumpton race goers. However, should Criqtonic from the yard of Paul Nicholls take up his option and make his UK debut here he could provide a fascinating challenger to Cue Card. After graduating from hurdles, the five year old had two starts over fences in France and won the latter in facile style. Hailing from the champion trainer’s stable immediately makes him worthy of the highest respect and it is to be hoped that both he and Cue Card miss their alternative engagement at Newbury on Saturday to be with us on Monday. Should that not be the case does not mean that the race will not provide a decent individual for us to enjoy and the Alan King Kumbeshwar is the type of horse who King may have pencilled in for a crack at one of the handicap chases’ at the Cheltenham Festival. Winning this qualifier would make such a plan all the more attractive with the prospect of a £60000 bonus tacked on. The five year old ran well behind Zaynar at Ascot last time and looks to have more to come.

As usual the Plumpton card always throws up a very interesting novice hurdle and the 2m5f event scheduled for 1.45 looks like it might just be the best of the season so far. At this stage there are many contenders and finding where to start is not easy but I will kick off with the impressive Folkestone winner Double Ross. He had previously run in an event at Ascot won by Broadbackbob that is really working out very well. The son of Double Eclipse should appreciate a further step up in trip and the Twiston-Davies inmate looks a novice of some quality who still has progression in him. With his experience he will hold an advantage over a number of very interesting individuals who are transferring from bumpers to hurdles or making their rules debuts after a short introduction to racing via the pointing field. Holywell fetched £70000 at the November Cheltenham Sales and the former Irish point winner will be expected by his trainer Jonjo O’Neill to show at least a sign that the money is well spent. A similar type is the Paul Nicholls Presenting gelding Castletownsend. He cost a cool £50000 at the Cheltenham April Sale after also winning an Irish point. Those with experience in bumpers include Be All Man and Talkonthestreet who were split by just a head in a race at Warwick. The former came out on top that day and his previous bumper form was promising and local trainer Sheena West is a dab hand at improving young horses’ like him. Talkonthestreet could also easily find further improvement for trainer Phillip Hobbs. Salubrious is another Paul Nicholls entry and he just lacked the pace to get involved in the finish of a listed bumper at Cheltenham which contained a number of well thought of young horses’. Add the mare Toto Corde Meo, who is nicely bred by Galileo out of a Darshaan mare, and Aland Island both from the strong Tim Vaughan yard and you can easily see there is the possibility of seeing a race chock full of unexposed and potentially decent staying novices’. The more experienced individuals include recent course winner Ohio Gold and the Ascot novice handicap hurdle winner Water Garden, but they will both have to carry double penalties and one would like to think one of the less exposed runners could take advantage of that inconvenience. Gary Moore’s Grab The Glory was well fancied in Water Garden’s Ascot race over three miles but unseated around halfway and connections will be hoping he can bounce back after that unfortunate experience. He is capable as is African Broadway who ran well at Cheltenham on his last start in a Grade 2 affair won by the exciting and as yet unbeaten Fingal Bay. The bare form may flatter him a little bit but he is sure to run well here should David Pipe send him up from his Pond House base.

There is another interesting novice to start the card and also some well subscribed handicaps to make up the seven race meeting on a day that looks sure to start the new year off at Plumpton in fine style.

After a dry weekend leading up to the meeting, rain arrived just before the first race and fell steadily during the course of the afternoon. As a result, the going became ever more testing as the day progressed and there was no doubt that the key requirements were stamina and resolution.

Ohio Gold in the novice hurdle and Goring Two were the most impressive winners of the day, both having put their respective races to bed on the home bend and drawn readily clear up the home straight.

The opposition to Ohio Gold that held a realistic chance of success was pretty thin on the ground and in the end all he proved in terms of his ability was his hurdling prowess and the suitability of soft, winter ground. The improvement shown by Goring Two to win in such facile style was enormous. He walked across the line after a clean round of jumping and whilst the conditions may exaggerate his superiority a little, it is very likely this relatively unexposed individual is entitled to a rating, off which he can prove competitive, at least a stone above that of this win. His trainer, Anna Newton-Smith had reported that initially he was a slow learner but had really been getting his act together in recent weeks. He should at least get another chance in this grade and improving his win tally to two is a highly realistic possibility.

Cucumber Run was a great disappointment in the novice chase. The race was a qualifier in the Cheltenham Bonus Series but his defeat here to Spear Thistle strongly suggests that he will not prove a Cheltenham Festival horse. His jumping was inconsistent and though connections will look to the ground as an excuse, Cucumber Run would appear a handicapper at best. Spear Thistle is a good old stick and battled tenaciously here to record his head victory but will need to improve markedly to trouble the better novices this season and a handicapping route appears assured for him too.

The young seven pound conditional Brendan Powell was the shining light in the saddle recording a treble on the day. He guided Ohio Gold to his easy win and took the opening and closing races to confirm his upwardly mobile reputation. In the opener he was close up throughout and when the short priced newcomer West Brit weakened tamely turning out of the back straight, he and his partner Dark and Dangerous from there on always appeared to be getting the upper hand over the persistent Hi Note. Without looking anything out of the ordinary Dark And Dangerous jumped well and is a juvenile who gallops and enjoys winter ground which will stand him in good stead throughout the coming months. In the last, the win of Drawn Free, who is also a juvenile, was a triumph of persistence as the young rider kept organising his partner, who appeared to be wandering around a bit in front, and ultimately saw off the attentions of the favourite Missionaire who had been well fancied by a number of informed individuals prior to the race.

Local trainers had a good day with wins for Michael Roberts and Gary Moore supplementing the Anna Newton-Smith success. Hazy Bay was bred as well as trained by Michael Roberts and though the Hailsham trainer has pared down his operation this win shows he can still get the job done. He also commented that he felt Hazy Bay would improve for this run which gives him some confidence of the gelding being able to overcome the handicappers response. Reblis sauntered clear for Gary Moore and his son Joshua Moore to record an easy win. He has been a disappointing type but maybe the confidence this win will give him may see his star in the ascendancy.

There has been a great deal of heavy rain in the region during the week leading up to this meeting and ground conditions are now unsurprisingly reported as heavy. In the past five days there has been 53mm of rain and the going stick readings are 4.6 for the hurdles track and 4.9 for the chase. The forecast for the weekend and Monday is for predominately dry conditions. Clerk of the Course Mark Cornford is pleased with the way the course has absorbed the moisture and also mentioned that frost is very unlikely to be a factor but will be covering the take off and landing areas as is usual for this time of the year.

The next qualifier in the Cheltenham Bonus Series for novice chasers remembers Manhattan Boy in its title and he of course was a fourteen time winner at Plumpton and ran the vast majority of his races here as well. He passed away earlier this year and it is fitting that he is remembered in this way. The race itself is over 2m1f and every Plumpton regular will be hoping Cue Card takes up his entry. There has always been a lot of hype surrounding Colin Tizzards five year old son of Kings Theatre and his chasing career has got off to a good if unspectacular start. He ran probably his best race to date last time at Newbury when narrowly denied conceding weight to a Cheltenham Festival winner. He has been campaigned at two and a half miles this season but the drop back in trip here would not inconvenience him and he would be long odds on if he comes on Monday. As this is his only current entry that looks a distinct possibility and his trainer may be wisely looking to bolster his charges confidence.  Of his potential rivals, Nicky Henderson is responsible for three and the pick of them is clearly Cucumber Run. A half brother to Somersby, the six year old was progressive over hurdles last season and scored on his chasing debut at Hereford this term. His jumping was not particularly impressive but this potential return to a left handed track may well benefit him in that respect. Of the other Henderson entries, Skint must be considered an unlikely participant after his win at Bangor on Wednesday of this week and the French bred Problema Tic is a useful type who is open to improvement. The Alan King trained Kumbeshwar ran respectably in a number of novice hurdles last term at a high level but until his easy win on his chase debut against inferior horses he had disappointed in two valuable hurdle events. The four year old is by Doyen who is just starting to get his first jumps runners and he is a son of Sadlers Wells which bodes well for quality but also suggests that ground this deep may possibly not be ideal for his progeny.

The 2m5f novice hurdle has been very well supported and a couple of them quite clearly stand out from their contemporaries. Ohio Gold is a second season novice who spent last term competing at a high level and acquitting himself very creditably in some notable Graded contests without being able to quite break his hurdles maiden. He finally got off the mark last time out when decisively beating a lesser quality field at Folkestone but one that nonetheless included some fair prospects in its line up. The trip and forecast ground would appear to be suitable for this son of Flemensfirth and he will no doubt feature prominently toward the head of the market. Emma Lavelle has an entry for Captain Sunshine who ran such a promising race in March in a very warm Doncaster bumper. He is a son of Oscar and the five year old gelding was staying on very well behind the highly considered winner Montbazon on that occasion. That contest has thrown up a number of winners and Captain Sunshine is undoubtedly a very interesting prospect in a race of this type. The seven pounds he would receive from Ohio Gold could prove crucial if his hurdling stands up on debut. Of the others, Venetia Williams has an entry for the unraced Bold Jack who has a nice pedigree and would warrant inspection, as would Captain Moonman from the Tim Vaughan yard. He is an Irish point winner but he does have a number of other entries as well as this one.  

The staying handicap chase over 3m2f will obviously be an extreme test of stamina. It may pay to look for a lightly weighted prospect and the locally trained Portrait Royale was well supported on her seasonal debut here and is now on a mark below her last winning rating. You would have to forgive that run which is asking something but conditions will otherwise suit the mare well. Jordan is trained at Lewes and would be making her chasing debut if taking up this engagement. A consistent sort with winning form, one would have to take her fitness and jumping technique on trust should you be tempted to support her but her hurdles form suggests she could be competitive. In contrast, Guydus is very inconsistent but conditions would appear suitable for him. Higher up the handicap, Monbeg Dude will be looking to confirm recent Lingfield form with Near The Water on eight pound worse terms. The latter was running on well that day and it will not be easy for the potential top weight to overcome the rise in the ratings. Another possible is Rateable Value, a young horse who had his career stalled for two years presumably by injury. In four chase starts he has finished second three times and won on his final outing in February. He could still be progressive and if he handles the absence and the trip he must play a major part. Reblis is a poor performer but Gary Moore horses’ are always worthy of great respect here. A tough puzzle to sort out, I might suggest taking a chance on Rateable Value but would want a fair price to play.

The rest of the card looks also to provide the prospect of some competitive racing and the first race is scheduled for 12.30.

A brisk wind made it the coldest day of the new season yesterday but the sun did stay with us throughout and the ground was quite holding and described by the jockey’ riding as ‘dead’.

Without a shadow of doubt the highest quality and most impressive winner of the day was the novice chaser Invictus. Following up his chasing debut win at Hereford, the son of Flemensfirth jumped fluently throughout and when asked to quicken through a gap at the top of the straight he did so immediately and very quickly put his seal on the race. Post race, his trainer Alan King spoke of the greater maturity the horse had displayed this season and how well his schooling had gone. He also felt they would stick at or around two and a half miles for the time being although in time three miles would be a realistic possibility. In the race itself, all of the participants jumped well for the majority of the contest and the rank outsider had been taken care of with still a circuit to run. The Irish trained runner up Gift Of Dgab had looked strong and athletic in the paddock prior and travelled well for a long way but had absolutely no response to the winner when asked to go with him. Considering he had a Grade One entry the previous day, it is not unreasonable to assume that connections have at least a fairly high opinion of Gift Of Dgab. However, it would be very difficult to imagine a scenario where he could reverse form with Invictus, who must be a strong candidate to turn up at the Cheltenham Festival and at least attempt to secure the £60000 Cheltenham Bonus Series prize that this success has now qualified him for.

The opening novice hurdle also looked a fairly decent race and though the heights of a Cheltenham Festival are very unlikely to be scaled by any of the participants, the race should throw up a few winners. The victor on the day was the Phil Middleton trained Trip The Light who got the best of a duel on the run in with Turbo Du Ranch. Both runners had raced prominently throughout and eventually went clear of their rivals up the straight with Trip The Light ultimately getting on top in the last half furlong. Of those behind, Tindaro made a significant mistake at the top of the hill but was still able to pick up third spot and he can find a similar contest in time. Marcus Antonius looked well in the paddock prior and caught the eye in the race too. His jumping will need to improve and on a quicker surface he is one to consider.

Phil Middleton completed a double on the day when Marju King returned to form with a win in the 2m handicap hurdle. The horse travelled well throughout the contest and though Just Beware ran on late in the day, he had the race sewn up from the last hurdle. Despite being toward the head of the betting market, the improved performance of Marju King was investigated by the Stewards who forwarded the explanations received to the relevant authorities for further review. Little Roxy was well fancied for this but the ground was probably not soft enough and Mix N Match was very well backed in the morning but made no real impact come crunch time.

There were a number of respected stables with entries in the bumper and the Nigel Twiston-Davies runner Kruzhlinin was solidly supported to give his trainer yet another winner here this season. After travelling well into the home straight his effort faded rather tamely and he was overhauled by both Mister Newby and Ballylifen well before the final furlong and after a tussle the former went on to give his trainer his first winner since February in this sphere. Mister Newby had the best of the form on offer going into this race and dispelled any prerace concerns about his temperament by knuckling down to the job in hand and was rewarded with a neck victory. On the face of it, this looked a run of the mill bumper but both the first two have decent pedigrees and should develop.

The award for the ride of the day went to Sam Twiston-Davies for his efforts in the staying handicap chase aboard the quirky Zimbabwe. Sam galvanised the enthusiasm of his partner who made all the running to win as the rank outsider. The rider lost his stirrup on the right side, it appeared to have snapped, which further accentuated the quality of his effort. This was just a weak affair and a few behind did not produce their form for whatever reason.

Cinderella Rose won the mares handicap hurdle and to my eye she was just idling in front and when her last challenger Twin Bud came upside at the last she picked up. Though the margin was narrow, I felt she was always just doing enough. She might prove one of those who the handicapper always finds difficult to get on top of because of their not wanting to be in front too long. Time will tell.

There was 16mm of rain at the course on Thursday and early Friday morning which has prompted clerk of the course Mark Cornford to ease the going report to soft, good to soft in places. There is more rain forecast for Saturday but after that the Met Office suggest it will be dry through Sunday and Monday. With the going stick at 6.2 on the hurdles track and 6.6 on the chase they indicate the ground is nearer good to soft than soft, so there is the possibility of the report on the day reversing. There were one hundred and forty four entries for the seven race card which gets underway at 12.40.

The Cheltenham Bonus Series has the second of its six qualifiers on Monday and once again entries have been attracted from some of the leading stables. Nicky Henderson has two of them and both are individuals who were winners as novice hurdlers but always looked as though their potential would be fulfilled over fences. However, after a promising debut in a decent contest at Aintree, Bears Affair gave his rider no chance of staying aboard when unseating at Folkestone. You would not give up on any horse after one blip and his entry in the graded One Man Chase suggests the stable feel he has ability. Cucumber Run is the Henderson alternative for this race and he also holds a One Man entry. He was not impressive on his chase debut at Ludlow where he jumped markedly to his left throughout. This left handed track may suit him better and this half brother to Somersby is expected to progress from that form. Invictus is the Alan King entry and he of course always likes to send one of his better novice chasers to this series and is the only trainer to previously secure the £60000 bonus. The gelding was an easy winner of a poor event on his chase debut. A horse of potential, it is likely that this son of Flemensfirth will ultimately appreciate further than the 2m4f trip here. There is another entry from Ireland, which seems to be becoming an unlikely but welcome trend, and Gift of Dgab was an easy winner of his only chase start and is also in at Fairyhouse in the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase on Sunday. If he turns up he will be respected as would Paul Nicholls French bred Sir Du Bearn. He was second on his UK debut to a very promising sort and the four year old can progress. David Pipe could send another potentially useful novice chaser after Notus De La Tour won the last qualifier, this time in the shape of Battle Group. The winner of a Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Aintree in April, this quirky individual is talented and the half brother to Upgrade has an entry in Saturdays One Man Chase. Should he sidestep that hot event and come here to make his chase debut he will command great respect. A race chock full of potential at the five day stage, let us hope the majority stand their ground.

The Class 3 Mares handicap hurdle at 1.40 looks another potentially competitive event at the five day stage. Chilli Rose heads the weights for Alan King and she ran well on her last outing at Cheltenham. She is however winless in eight hurdles’ starts and always looks as though three miles would suit her. Concerns about this 2m5f trip might be somewhat alleviated if the ground did ride soft. Cinderella Rose is an unexposed mare from the Kim Bailey stable. Her return after nearly a year off was reasonable but I would have distinct concerns about the forecast ground conditions if this daughter of Midnight Legend were to take her chance. Misstree Dancer would be returning to hurdling for the first time in a while should she take up her option after a series of creditable runs over fences. She is a course and distance winner here, has a viable mark and with conditions looking as though they could prove ideal she looks a major contender here. However, should Dolly Penrose return from her two year absence with the same level of ability that she showed then, Misstree Dancer would find it difficult if not impossible to contain the Chris Down trained six year old who thrashed her in a novice event at Exeter in December 09. That is obviously a big question mark and maybe the paddock and market will give us a guide should she turn up. The front running Rith Bob has run her last two races over fences and her handicap mark looks only fair at best. However, she has won three from six this year including a course and distance win so demands respect. Mavalenta has won here this season but has paid for it in the ratings. Pepite Rose and Extremely So are others worthy of consideration.

A 2m novice hurdle opens the card at 12.40 and the five day declarations contain some interesting young prospects. Ian Williams has a pair of very useful flat recruits entered. Ile De Re was a ninety odd rated horse in that sphere and has a 2m win at Ascot on his CV. In a race of this nature, that sort of quality demands great respect as do the credentials of Williams other possible Sam Sharp. He was a miler and rated a few pounds inferior to his stable mate but who will prove best of the two over hurdles is pure speculation at this time. Warren Greatrex also has a pair of entries and undoubtedly the pick of the two on what we have seen to date is Jigsaw Puzzle. He won a bumper at Bangor on his racecourse debut last month and was very impressive in doing so. Being from the family of the Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace he has the pedigree to go far in the National Hunt game and it would be exciting to see him here on Monday. Greatrex’s other possible is Turbo Du Ranch who will attempt to uphold course and distance form from the last meeting. Amongst the other entries, Zennor ran with some promise in a Lingfield mares’ only event. Tanerko Emery has just joined Tim Vaughan from France and showed promise in his only hurdles start at Auteuil but that was some time ago. Keys has a declaration over the weekend so is unlikely to turn up and Reste Jeune has shown promise for the Sussex trainer Nick Gifford.

There are a number of course regulars entered on the rest of the card such as the multiple course winner The Hardy Boy. At this stage all the handicaps and the final bumper are well subscribed with entries and will hopefully provide some good racing for us all to enjoy.