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Went to Plumpton this afternoon and I thought I’d share my observations on the afternoon’s action.
Race 1: 2 1/2 Mile Novice Handicap Chase
This was a match between ANNUAL INVICTUS and DINO VELVET. The former went off 1/8 favourite which might have been reasonable had they met on levels but the 11 lbs weight concession brought them closer.ANNUAL INVICTUS got the job done as they say but he didn’t impress me. As he’d won twice at the course as a hurdler, it might have been the quick ground. Talk of him as a Grade 1 chaser seems premature on this evidence but he’ll learn. DINO VERITAS was there until after the second last and perhaps two and a quarter miles is about as far as he can go.
Race 2: 2 1/2 mile Novice Hurdle
With POLLARDS PEN a late withdrawal, this was reduced to four possibles and three impossibles. HARDE FASHION went off favourite but was never really going and was well beaten by the station bend. TED’S FRIEND was backed on course from 11/2 to 7/2 and the shrewd players got a nice draw as Max Kendrick was able to dictate a solid pace and made every yard. The step up in trip made a lot of sense after the Bangor run and he can defy a penalty before the ground softens.NEXT LEFT was, I thought, always going a stride quick and was readily outpaced by the winner after the third last but kept on strongly up the hill and another half a mile will certainly help. I also think he’ll jump a fence in time. CRYSTAL MOON was beaten a long way in third to be honest – it may be, as with many 4-y-o, the transition to hurdling isn’t easy and he needs more time.
Race 3 – 2 mile Selling Hurdle
A really weak race even for Plumpton on a Monday afternoon. In the pre-race market, VISION CLEAR was backed in from early levels to 4/5 but there was plenty of support for KARAKORAM who traded solidly at 2s and 9/4.Unfortunately, neither obliged their supporters. VISION CLEAR took a heavy fall at the flight past the winning post – he just looked to step at it. From there, I thought KARAKORAM would win especially as early pace setter GREEK KODIAC (who I don’t think would get two miles in a horsebox) fell back after three out.
However, no one told DOLLY McQUEEN (who is by Canford Cliffs out of a Redoute’s Choice mare so I shouldn’t think a Plumpton seller was on the breeding radar) and she harried KARAKORAM up the straight and went past from the last to win by four lengths. She was bought in at the subsequent auction while GREEK KODIAC was claimed for 6,000 guineas by Tim Walford.
Race 4 – 2 mile 1 furlong Handicap Chase
This looked quite a tight heat on paper and there was in-ring support for NUMBERS MAN, ONLY MONEY and LIGHT N STRIKE with the first named going off narrow favourite. It didn’t go well for him as he never looked happy and was being pushed along when taking a horrible fall at the last fence on the far side. I feared the worse but was told later the horse got up having only been winded.BLISTERING BOB had set the pace but he made a couple of mistakes and that enabled LIGHT N STRIKE to go for home from the station bend and to be honest he was always in command. ONLY MONEY was always last and never improved his position so you could argue the winner might be flattered by this win and I suspect he’ll be moving into the high 120s after this which will make life much more difficult.
Race 5 – 2 1/2 Mile Handicap Hurdle
Another race where a well-backed favourite failed to deliver. MR YEATS was backed from 6/5 to 4/5 but never looked like landing the odds. He was close but never quite able to get on terms. JEN’S BOY had finished tamely the last twice but this was very different as he battled up the hill to hold off the persistent challenge of CREMANT.JEN’S BOY had been dropped 1 lb and was racing on quicker ground and I think this combined in what was a tight call with CREMANT who looks very close to a winning mark while perhaps it was too soon for MR YEARS after the Huntingdon win last week.
Race 6 – 3 1/2 mile Handicap Chase
Billed as the Sussex National Trial, this Class 5 produced another upset as rank outsider ABBEY STREET defied a mark of just 78 to make every yard. I realise it can be a huge advantage to be getting weight on soft or heavy ground but I suspect that’s also true of quick ground.The winner was getting two stone from UALLRIGHTHARRY and try as he might, the second could never quite get on terms and probably wasn’t helped by omitting the last which had been damaged by SILVER NICKEL who was a poor third having not helped his cause by more than one moderate jump.
This was ABBEY STREET’s first ever win and he’s a 10-y-o so it’s never too late. UALLRIGHTHARRY may well turn up back over course and distance in January and he’ll have claims.
Race 7 – 3 mile 1 furlong Handicap Hurdle
There was plenty of support for TOP MAN whose handicap mark had fallen from 119 last Christmas to 95 today. In truth, there had been some signs of improvement at Fontwell but he got back on the winning trail holding off JUNGLE PROSE who could do with even further on this evidence. She was running on well up the hill but just didn’t have the turn of foot of the winner.SOARLIKEANEAGLE ran on okay in third but this is a class 5 and winning opportunities aren’t going to br easy to find. DING DING was well held but the real disappointment was ANTONY who capped off another disappointing day for Team Moore.
A decent afternoon’s action though I’m forced to question the wisdom of cards at Fontwell, Plumpton and Lingfield on successive days. Fortunately, the summer rains have helped keep the Lingfield track reasonable and Fakenham has taken the hit tomorrow with just 36 in seven races while Lingfield has a reasonable 47 in its six events.
I wish I didn’t live so far away but I’d love to go to Plumpton one day to see my favourite horse in training: the legend that is Ding Ding (who was actually staying on again at the end under a huge weight for a little horse).
Ding Ding just keeps going and i do like Sheena West the trainer
You really have to go. It’s the best small track I’ve been to. Always a debate down this way between plumpton or Fontwell but both are glorious tracks
A real proper local racing crowd. Lovely atmosphere and very down to earth
It’s pretty easy to get to from London too
They are two of my favourite tracks. I have to give a narrow vote to Plumpton but Fontwell is great as well. I just think they have over raced there. The all weather strip around the far side of the track does not look good.
I saw the last three races on SSR yesterday which made me want to visit Plumpton again. I like the place so much I have even asked for some of my ashes to be scattered after the last but I am not sure if they allow that sort of thing!
I’d have to get to London first though clivexx!She ran very prominently yesterday; unusual for her. I usually listen to her races on racing radio and listen for the ‘and Ding Ding is getting closer’ at the end of the race at which point I run around screaming DingDing. I was a wreck actually watching her race yesterday; what a slick little jumper she is! One of the best names horses in training, too, by Winker Watson out of Five Bells. Sheenas a bit of a giant slayer, too eg the ill fated Cannon Fodder. I like Steph Hollinshead, too, but that’s mainly because we visited her stable ones day and she has a kitchen full of rescue whippets at various stages of decrepitude…
Another member of the Plumpton Fan Club here, although it’s a while since I’ve been and I don’t live so close now (I used to include it on some of my long Sunday runs but would be well into ultra territory now).
If you accept that the racing is not top quality it’s hard to find fault with, good viewing, my dad informs me that the restaurant is decent enough (and he’s not even a racing fan), family friendly in the middle of the course (top tip bring a rugby ball and your young children will spend all afternoon trying to kick conversions while you concentrate on the more important action), station adjacent to the course for non-drivers, several pubs in the immediate vicinity etc etc.
Definitely a course for specialists, good old Manhattan Boy must have won 15 times there mostly with Iron Man Ray Goldstein up and what was that grey horse a few years back that seemed to run at every meeting – Johnny part of its name perhaps?
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