Plumpton 16/11/09

As sign of how much the drainage has improved here was that after such a wet weekend, there really was no standing water on the track, except maybe one or two patches on the far side that only showed up when the horses went through them. The counter to that is when wet ground dries quickly it can be horribly sticky and holding conditions that are hated by most horses, even those that would go on genuinely loose, easy ground. So, punters thinking that they would watch the lie of the land in early races were presented with a card chocker with novice races. The pessimists who thought it was all too hard and gave up on any form of investment probably had the best day.

 A few years ago, there was no finer post-Christmas wind down than the South Coast Festival, a three day extravaganza of racing ahead between Plumpton, Fontwell and Folkestone. It fell by the wayside, but suddenly re-emerged this week, years later, yet somehow six week too early. Not being able to make the last of the trio at Folkestone suddenly seemed a failure of epic proportions. Matron, fetch me my crayons...

Going: Heavy

Race 1: KBR Lashkar GAH Juvenile Maiden Hurdle [2m]

1: Anak     2: Coeur Brule     3: Head Down

Winner owned: FW Golding and W Wallace, trained: Jim Best, ridden: Tony McCoy

It would be really nice to have something incisive to say about this race, but it was really exceptionally uneventful. Anak was by far the most talented flat horse of the quintet that ran, and the two with hurdle experience had not shown great improvement in the jumping sphere. Although Anak was always travelling best, Coeur Brule did his best to compete, and was upsides at the last, but once Anak was over that obstacle, he powered clear. An adequate run that he will need to better, and probably can do so. That's it. Head Down shares a name with a track from Soundgarden's magnificent "Superunknown" album, and deserves to succeed for that reason alone. However, if he does stay the trip over hurdles, it is hard to imagine it being on this sort of going.

Given that this was the fourth hurdle, the runners should have been a little less surprised to encounter it. Richardthelionheart leads Coeur Brule and Anak (giant cheek pieces). Head Down and Bari Bay (white cap) track them.

Race 2: BGC Partners Helmand Handicap Chase [2m 1f]

1: Nomecheki     2: Russian Flag     3: Bormo

Winner owned: The Stewart Family, trained: Nick Gifford, ridden: Liam Treadwell

Demonstrating an enormous inability to land a betting coup, connections of Nomecheki had been touting him for this race all weekend, leading to an injection of support as soon as any early betting opportunity was available and leaving next to no money for him on the track itself. Whoever got what on collected as the horse, running for the first time in 21 months and making his chase debut was a fairly comfy winner in a race that was not devoid of talent. Russian Flag was certainly worrying him two out, and might well have attracted some in running support, but lacked the late speed to exploit the position, if he had wanted to. Bormo was a newcomer to chasing, like Nomecheki, and a win avoider like Russian Flag. Held up early, he did have a lot to do at one stage, but got into contention just abut soon enough had he been up to the task. Ultimately, a horse off as long as the winner on this ground always runs the risk of emptying the fuel tank quite suddenly, but it did not happen this time. On his previous run here Amble Forge jumped indifferently, and a repetition of that prevented him thrashing the runner-up again on similar terms. He has won left-handed, on undulating and on sharp, but is less happy when they are all rolled in together. Irish import Wheels Up was in rear early, but found very little when put under pressure -unlike some of his stablemates there were questions asked of him, just no answers.

Race 3: Ladbrokes Bamiyan Novice Hurdle [2m]

1: The Betchworth Kid     2: King Edmund     3: Ice Bellini

Winner owned: WH Ponsonby, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

For pure comedy reasons, The Betchworth Kid, hardly the biggest creature to grace the track, walked round the parade ring between the chunky King Edmund and chunkier Heronway, but when the racing got serious, his top level flat form came to the fore, and he won on his first sight of hurdles. King Edmund, a compulsive front runner, gave him a really hard time of it, but daylight was put between them on the run in. Did The Betchworth Kid look like a group and listed placed flat horse? Probably not, but maybe King Edmund excelled himself in breaking the spell, as the rest were an awful long way behind.

Race 4: Annington Kandahar Novice Chase [2m 4f]

1: Bensalem     2: Chariot Charger     3: Martys Mission

Winner owned: Alan Marsh & John D Duggan, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

Only five ran, but this was a corking novice chase, even for one of the races that carries a bonus for winning at Cheltenham. Bensalem, a 150 rated hurdler, was making his chase debut and found himself in a bit of trouble when his main rival, Chariot Charger pecked on landing at the last, and allowed Bensalem to get back up and regain the lead. Bensalem only made his bumper debut less than a year ago (the field racked up a mere eighteen subsequent wins), so the fact that he was inclined to jump a little right on a sharper track than he has enountered is forgiveable. However, Chariot Charger was behind Bensalem in that bumper, and even though he had some Irish pointing experience, he might just be capable of rising through the ranks as far as the winner has already managed..

A poor quality picture that would have been discarded had it not shown the moment at the last fence when the race was decided. Bensalem (left) is much slicker than Chariot Charger.

Race 5: Artemis Fund Managers Hindu Kush Novice Hurdle [2m 5f]  

1: Quartano     2: Dawn Choir     3: Stormhoek

Winner owned: Malcolm C Denmark, trained: Warren Greatrex, ridden: Paddy Brennan

A solid novice hurdle, which saw four horses take the second last in a line. The most powerful finish from that point came from Quartano, who had good hurdle form in the book, but ran in a chase on his only run last season, and thus might have been suspected to be in this race for a warm-up. Although he had been deemed worthy of debuting over obstacles in a Grade 1 novice race (highly unsuccessfully, it has to be noted), Quartano had been a seven length third in a Grade 2 race. In comparison, Stormhoek had won a very average looking bumper and Dawn Choir a maiden hurdle at Roscommon on firm ground. Le Commencement, eventually fourth, has won a four runner race at Uttoxeter. So it was probably only the fact that Warren Greatrex had yet to train a winner since taking over at Weathercock House that prevented Quartano being a short priced favourite. That situation is rectifed.

Quartano (noseband) adopts cautious tactics. Walkingonsunshine (7), Knight Woodsman (4) and Le Commencement (2) lead the way with two laps to go. Yes Minister (white, orange stars) and Stormhoek (stripes, black sleeves and cap) remain confident and Dawn Choir (red, black & yellow) and Diamond Supreme (blue & yellow) are flexibly adopting whatever roles are available to them

Race 6: Windsor Partners Mazar-e-Sharif Novice Handicap Chase [3m 2f]

1: Its A Classic     2: Quartz Du Montceau     3: Wheres Johnny

Winner owned: H Downs, trained: Roger Curtis, ridden: Mark Grant

This proved to be a cat and mouse affair, which probably suited Its A Classic, the only runner lacking a recentish blow out. To his advantage, no rival was proven to work on the combined trip and ground (although most had hints that they might well appreciate it). Its A Classic led three out, got a couple of lengths daylight on the rail bend, and kept it to the line. Quartz De Montceau chased him home with guts but no great panache.

Go Johnny Go and Wheres Johnny (the grey) carve a path for Quartz De Montceau (green), Moon Melody (black) and Its A Classic (left). Majic Moments is in rear, clearing up any lost property

Race 7: Sandy & Leanora 2008 Afghanistan Walk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m 2f]

1: Kaybeew     2: Landenstown Star     3: Silver Footnote

Winner owned: Roberts Green Whittal-Williams, trained: Nigel Twiston-Davies, ridden: Paddy Brennan

The three runners with form in the book had done nothing to boast about, and whilst the unraced horses represented one or two occasional bumper winners, only the Twiston-Davies yard amongst them is really prolific in the field. This ensured that Kaybeew was favourite, and he won. Not unusually for the longer trip found at Plumpton, the performance was less sparkling than gutsy, as he had to be ridden along in the straight, and slowly widened the gap, rather than dashed clear. Landenstown Star saw off two rivals for the runner-up spot, with the first quartet well ahead of the pack.

Plus points  

Head Down (race 1): Won at no more than a mile on the all-weather and his places on turf where over shorter, but he was rated 77 there and could maybe bag a race on fast going if his stamina is developed.

Nomecheki (race 2): Since he won in France three and a touch years ago, one run at Sandown, ending in a fall, was all he had managed. On this evidence, there is still lots of ability there, even if soundness has become a big question mark.

Coach Lane (race 2): Showed little zip, but came into this ten runner race (record in fields this size or bigger 9561P7P3) after over six months off (his seven wins came after gaps of between 2 and 27 days). Perhaps it will be a different tale back in a small field with a recent run - and a right-handed track will not be of harm either.

King Edmund (race 3): Has not really found his way since a bumper success on debut, but his last two runs have been better, and a second success could be looming.

Chariot Charger (race 4): One minor accident at the last cost him the race and he has probably stepped up on what was useful novice hurdle form.

Den Of Iniquity (race 4): Was not fit enough to live up to his best hurdle form, and faded after a mistake three out. He is capable of much better.

Martys Mission (race 4): Looked handy on easy ground over hurdles, but three previous chases had all been on good to firm. He seemed more comfortable here, and not out of place in a strong field.

Knight Woodsman (race 5): Had shown zero sign of talent until a 200/1 fourth at Aintree on his seasonal reappearance. In failing to match that, he was not give too hard a time, and could be cause for excitement if he gets a sensible handicap mark.

Quartz De Montceau (race 6): In his previous race showed that he had brushed up his jumping and this step forward was repeated. It did not produce a win, but his yard is well up the cold list, and therefore he may have further progress in him - also bear in mind three and quarter muddy miles is a tough ask for a five year old.

Down arrows

Russian Flag (race 2): Has 21 runs jumping, one win and now six seconds. The win came at the expense of Sebastiano, who has a similar love of being runner-up, and there have to be serious worries about his determination.

Bormo (race 2): A solid debut under top weight that history suggests he will not build upon.

Coin Of The Realm (race 3): Rated about a stone behind The Betchworth Kid on the flat, he ran a stinker and after three defeats over hurdles - one admittedly in a decent Aintree race - is running short of excuses for his lack of wondrous deeds.

Le Commencement (race 5): Won a poor race and might struggle for a while to live down (in the handicappers' eyes) the fact that he has a 1 by his name.

Tegan Lee (race 5): Stepped up on two previous hurdle runs by showing that she could, at a pinch, run round a bend, but was well behind at the end of the race, and looks to be a longer term project.

Moon Melody (race 6): Followed his near miss here with a fall at Warwick, and and hint of a revelation, in win seeking terms, has been snuffled out.

Majic Moments (race 6): Tied up badly when winning at Fontwell and did the same when pulling up in his next race. The slow pace meant that he appeared simply outpaced here, but it is probably a different symptom of the same problem.

UK-Jumping Selections

Wheres Johnny (race 6): Was really, really, really in a co-operative mood and still finished third in a slowly run six horse race