A bit of an odd meeting at sunny Plumpton, with four hurdles, two novice chases and a bumper. Two days of bright sunshine had not caused any official change in the going, but there was an underlying suspicion that the conditions may not have been as testing as expected. The visual evidence was that in the races where they struggled home, it was down to a ferocious early pace more than mud. And there were plenty of informative efforts for the future, positive and negative. For instance, after today, Brendan Powell, many racegoers idea of a man who would be racking them up here, has only 2 hurdle winners from his last 42 runners and added another loss today. It gets a bit more interesting from this point, I hope.

The biggest oddity of the day, quite literally, was the big screen. As you can see pretty much everything at the track with the naked eye it is very dubious that one is needed at all, but for some reason today, they had a screen the size of Wiltshire. Had it fallen over, there could have been an earthquake.

Going: Soft (Chases: Good to Soft)

Race 1: Southern FM Juvenile Hurdle [2m]

1: Sweetheart     2: Hope Road     3: My Monna

Winner owned: RW Huggins, trained: Jamie Poulton, ridden: Mattie Batchelor

A ragged start was followed by a keen pace, and although early leader Sweetheart prevailed in the end, she had been headed three from home, and the ones that tried to keep tabs with her generally fell by the wayside from the railway turn. It was very much the other side of the story for those who are prone to whinge when one or two runners get a flyer at the start – it is not always an advantage. In fact Hope Road looked a valid case for throwing in the towel at halfway, but Timmy Murphy knew, or at least hoped, that he had judged it right and the others wrong. He was 95% right, as Sweetheart’s stamina proved very deep as opposed to Alecia, who also cruised into contention and flattened out in an instant.

Sweetheart impresses the crowd with her casual acceptance of marvellous victory

Race 2: Racing Post ‘Hands & Heels’ Jumps Series Handicap Hurdle [2m]

1: Ede’s     2: Spider Boy     3: Magic Merlin

Winner owned: Ede’s (UK) Ltd, trained: Pat Phelan, ridden: Harry Skelton

Plenty of these had shown form to win this sort of race, but not many had been doing it especially recently. Perennial maiden Spider Boy forced the pace, but Ede’s was the one to suddenly remember how it all goes together. Magic Merlin kept on well from well behind to pinch the last place in the frame, his best run by miles since a solid debut at Wincanton.

Race 3: Chris Poole & George Ennor Novice Chase [3m 2f]

1: Verasi     2: The Speaker     3: Burren Legend

Winner owned: F ledger, J Bateman, trained: Gary Moore, ridden: Philip Hide

Overall it was an unimpressive win from the class act of the field, but it did reinforce the view that his excellence is very much dependent on soft or heavy ground, and tails off sharply as the going gets better. His rider did not take it up until the last, which was a bit of a gamble as the short run-in on the chase course allows little recovery time in case of error. The question mark for future fascination is whether the decent efforts of those behind are flattering or real.

Race 4: Southern FM Handicap Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: New Team     2: Turbulance     3: Ask The Gatherer

Winner owned: GL Porter, trained: Robert & Sally Alner, ridden: Robert Walford

The Racing Post Ratings had ten of the eleven split by only four pounds, and the other, Ask The Gatherer, had been chasing so did not have a score. When things are that tight, people resort to coincidence and superstition, so many will have backed New Team now that the licence for the yard is held jointly by the Alners. Richard Johnson is a rare visitor to Plumpton, and was here for just the ride on Turbulence. This took his recent record to 3 wins from 56 tries, which sort of explains the absence. Since his last win, New Team had pulled up twice at the bigger tracks and then had the bad luck to bump into Hobbs Hill, William Bonney and Cathedral Rock at Folkestone, so this was a distinctly easier opportunity.

"By Jove, I'm winning! I remember what that is all about." A startled New Team powers home from an unimpressed Turbulance. Behind the, Grasp (white) and Brendar (yellow with dark green) seem set to swamp early leader Ask The Gatherer, but he fought his way back into third

Race 5: Joe The Cap From Carshalton Memorial mares Novice Hurdle [2m]

1: Serhaaphim     2: Persona     3: Take It There

Winner owned: Richard S Keely, trained: Neil King, ridden: Owyn Nelmes

All of the runners were hard ridden as far out as the third last, and odds-on jolly Serhaaphim proved to be the most responsive. As Persona, Figurita and Snake Skin laboured, Take It There came from the pack to challenge, but was not given more than a single reminder and did not find a great deal. This just happened to be her third run, surely a massive coincidence?

Persona leads Snake Skin, Cove Mountain, Whistling and Figurita, walking in the shadows like some sort of vampire.

Race 6: Tyser Insurance Ltd Novice Chase [2m 1f]

1: Overlut     2: High Tech Made     3: Consigliere

Winner owned: Paul Green, trained: Evan Williams, ridden: Paul Moloney

A race of underachievers over fences and Jamie Moore set out to ensure a manic pace on Adopted Hero. This caught out Give Me A Dime at the second, bringing down Kervriou, and also brought about the downfall of Adopted Hero himself with a huge blunder at the seventh. This left three playing a game of cat and mouse, but Overlut plodded on better than High Tech Made, who was hampered at the second, without suffering as much inconvenience as he was beaten by.

Race 7: Southern FM Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m 2f]

1: Upham Atom     2: Enroblim Trop     3: Half Cocked

Winner owned: Malcolm Le May, trained: Chris Gordon, ridden: Richard Bandey

The form of Upham Atom’s two bumper runs in the frame did not look anything out of the ordinary, but he managed to turn around the form with Half Cocked, and see off Enroblim Trop, who had one decent run to his name, without Richard Bandey having to offer more than hands and heels riding. At face value it was a improved effort. Bear in mind that those with form on the track were not obviously superstars in the making and none of the newcomers came from yards which are typically associated with bumper excellence. In fourth was Absolute Shambles, a stablemate of the winner, and behind him paddock pick Winnie Wood. They both tried hard, but do not seem overly speedy.

Plus Points

Sweetheart (race 1): Proved very game, and would no doubt be suited by a rise in trip.

My Monna (race 1): Nothing special on the flat, but this was a promising start in real racing where the slower gallop probably suited, and she also looks the sort to be at her best over further.

Verasi (race 3): Probably has further decent races in him, but they will be on soft or heavy going.

The Speaker (race 3): Excelled himself, but might find a rating of 98 does not last long after only being beaten three lengths. His previous chase form of UP was left far, far behind.

Master Alf (race 3): May have been a bit too close to Verasi, but a mistake two out helped widen the gap, and he now has a handicap option

Turbulance (race 4): Can be forgiven not getting home on heavy over 3m 1f two runs ago, and ran perfectly well today, just not as quickly as New Team.

Sea Map (race 4): A triple flat winner, on the comeback trail after a year off and change of yard, he has been ominously second four times over hurdles. Today he struck into himself and pulled up, but his new yard tend to do well livening up a horse that has been in the doldrums. It took a while but a nautical pun made the frame in the end!  

Hereditary (race 4): Had a blinding spell a year ago at Fontwell, with two wins, a second and ending up third of five in the National Spirit hurdle. For that is rating rose from 90 to 130, despite only having a couple of runs of anything other than woeful standard (twenty lengths behind Blazing Bailey seemed better as time passed) outside them. He is back on a workable rating when he goes back to his preferred venue with some cut.

Take It There (race 5): Well beaten in two races, with the odd abd error, she showed much more here and needs to be taken seriously when she goes handicapping in the near future. Her flat runs suggest that she will not stay much further than the bare 2 miles on decent ground.

Snake Skin (race 5): Has shown glimpses of ability, and should now get in a small handicap, or seller, on a workable mark.

Down Arrows

Shavansky (race 1): Headed Sweetheart on the rail turn but gave way again fairly soon. His stamina or mind appeared at fault, but the get out clause is that he was an out and out fast ground horse on the flat.

Guardian Of Truth (race 1): Won his hurdle on fast ground, but the first time blinkers failed to liven him up. The truth he guards may be a touch unpalatable.

Spider Boy (race 2): Subject of a good ride from the front against feeble opposition and he still managed to make it loss number 43. He carried 10-11 today, his highest burden since his bumper days in Spring 2003. That says plenty about the race.

Krasivi’s Boy (race 2): Tends to be on better behaviour at Plumpton than elsewhere, but tried to pull himself up passing the stables. Those whom the gods would destroy...

Supreme Huntress (race 3): Remained unconvincing in his resolution as a hurdler, and is erratic jumping – unseated today – is not helping matters as a chaser.

Grecian Groom (race 4): Downed tools at the drop of a hat after the fourth.

Mister Pink (race 4): Did his best to finish about seventh, but despite trying manfully to stop himself, he found very tired rivals slowing up quicker than he could.

Whistling (race 5): Was not disgraced in a decent heat on her debut but stopped disappointingly quickly on this occasion

Overlut (race 6): Has not got the hang of chases, and this did not reverse that trend, despite the some less appalling jumping, in which field he probably appreciated the lack of opposition from halfway.